Before the Beginning
by Anotheranonymous
Summary: The story of four boys who became men. Four friends that became brothers.Four individuals who united and the women who were so important along the way. Growing up at Hogwarts in the 70's wasnt easy but the Marauders certainly made it interesting. LJ
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Several generations past, in a country known for tea time and knights who at one time sat around a table which was round, there lived a community of people beyond the wildest imagination of the average Muggle. It was a society widely overlooked by most people, as it is a generally recognized fact that Muggles usually only see what they want to see. On top of this, most Muggles have given up believing in anything odd and extraordinary once they leave childhood and thus the time in their lives which imagination and fascination with unexplainable occurrences are acceptable.

By the time most Muggles became adults they only see their mundane ordinary lives, the daily grind, if you will, of the same old pattern day in and day out. Muggles don't seem to mind this however because usually this is all that they now and therefore it becomes exciting in some strange way. Muggle children are usually the only members of this cultural group who see the lives of those which they will someday become, as they really are, intolerably boring and monotonous.

Of course there are members of this social order who do not live like this, they go out every day not knowing what will happen, where they will end up, what crazy adventure they will become involved in. But for the point of this story, let us overlook these people. For as interesting as they are, they will serve no purpose in the tale in which we will shortly embark. Because these people as fascinating as they appear do not abhor to supernatural or mysterious beliefs. They are just as stubborn in their beliefs that life not being anymore magical then government funded scientific belief would allow.

This was exactly how the other community of rather extraordinary individuals, whom lived amongst those Muggles, who saw and knew nothing, preferred it. For the other group of people knew the importance of secrecy, they knew that people were afraid of what they didn't understand and what frightened them often led to prejudiced.

For the most part these people did not wish to frighten anyone, a large number of them were as relatively peaceful and kind mannered as the average family living in 1950's suburbia.

Believe it or not they were very much like you and I, except that these people had one had one very large difference. On first look you might not see anything so diverse about them, after all they looked no different then the average human being. They spoke the same languages, celebrated the same holidays and so on and so forth. Yet they were very different.

For their society was one of magic. The men and women within it were witches and wizards. The country was Great Britain and the year was 1958.

In a hospital in Ashtead, Surrey not far from the home which he shared with his wife and young daughter, a red haired man nervously paced up and down in the waiting room of the Hospital's birthing clinic. Wringing his hands with anticipation he glanced up at the clock on the wall. He had been walking back and forth, the entire length of the room, for nearly two hours. Gritting his teeth nervously, as he often did when under extremely stressful circumstances he looked towards the double doors which he knew his pregnant wife was just behind. Suddenly he heard the unmistakable cry of an infant. The red haired man looked up at the double doors with anticipation, his bright green eyes excited. Lily Evans had been born.

Weeks later in London inside a hospital hid well from the average prying eye, a tall man with messy dark hair and glasses held a newborn baby close to his chest as he looked down at the infant wrapped in a blue blanket with affection. Next to him a small woman with chestnut curls held off her face by a red ribbon looked at her husband with a mix of exhaustion and love. "Isn't he beautiful?" sighed the wife. The man tore his eyes from the baby and leaned down to kiss his wife tenderly on the forehead. "He is more then beautiful Evelyn. He is perfect." The wife, Evelyn, leaned back into the pillows propping her up upon her bed and happily shut her eyes, "a perfect little boy" she sighed. "Mary Alice will adore him" the man said as he softly stroked the cheek of the newborn boy. "Oh yes Harold" Evelyn said, "I imagine they will be best friends." Harold Potter smiled at Evelyn and nodded his head, "Yes she will positively adore her new baby brother, James."

Several countries away a lone baby lay in her glass bed in the nursery. This hospital was very obviously one in which magic was apparent all around. Witches and Wizards gazed into the nursery all dressed in long flowing robes, wands tucked behind ears or sticking out from a pocket. MediWitches bustled about the large nursery checking on the infants, feeding, burping and paying attention to the new born babies.

The little girl lay in her small bed, looking around her with interest. The child's mother had insisted the child stay in the nursery since she cried all hours of the day and night and kept the baby girl's mother awake. The Father of the baby had not even seen his six day old child yet. Of course he was an extremely busy man. On the other side of the glass several of the witches and wizards pointed at the sign on the baby girl's glass crib. Every crib had one; it stated the name of the child. "Do you see the last name of that baby there?" asked one woman; "Yes, Yes Chiavatti isn't it?" replied the man next to her. "I wonder don't you? If it is the new daughter of Ruggerio Chiavatti, I heard his wife was having their daughter at this hospital." It was to become the bane of the little girl's existence, her famous father. For years she would be the daughter of Ruggerio Chiavatti and never simply Arabella, which was all she ever really wanted to be.

Back in Great Britain still later on that same year a noticeably young, good looking blonde couple walked behind a tram as they meandered through a park near their home in Cambridge. The young man had wrapped one of his arms around the thin waist of his wife as he pulled her toward him and kissed her on the cheek. The girl for she couldn't have been a day over twenty giggled and looked up at the man with appreciation. Inside the pram a baby gurgled happily. The women leaned over the pram and tickled the baby's stomach, to which the infant shrieked gleefully. The man laughed as he rubbed his wife's back and watched the two members of his little family with contentment. "Look at little Remus smile" he whispered into his glowing wife's ear.

In a large and well known house in Northern London a baby lay quietly in a crib in an elaborate nursery. The infant was all alone and even if it had cried for attention no one would have come to comfort him. The baby's father was deep within his study several floors below in a meeting with several important political advisors, the baby's mother was having tea at the house of a friend and would not likely be back for hours. The House Elf's were all busy, preparing for the couple's dinner party which was set to be held that evening for a large handful of the high society couple's friends. The child was all alone, but by now the baby was used to it. Sirius Black learned from an early age that being alone was far better then being surrounded by his family.

In Northern England a little, stout women dressed in brown robes and an apron held a baby as she rocked back and forth in an old rickety rocking chair. Softly she sung a tune into the infant's ear so only the baby could hear. It was a touching moment between son and mother. Of course that was the only type of moments the two had, the small baby boy's father had left his wife shortly after learning she was pregnant. It had been horrible at first but now her baby boy was her pride and joy. Nothing would ever stop her from being the best mother that she could be to her son. "I will be the best mother in the world to you Peter Pettigrew, for you are my world" the woman thought to herself.

So begins our tale, of friendship, love, loyalty, betrayal, truth, darkness and sacrifice.


	2. All about the Potters

**All about the Potters**

Marigold Alameda Potter, though she preferred to be called Mary Alice for all general purposes and made sure everyone know this, quite inexplicitly, no matter whom they happened to be ;( Minister of Magic or Albus Dumbledore included) was born on October 11th 1957. She was the first child of one of the most well respected young couples in Wizarding Great Britain.

Her father, Harold Potter was moving quickly up through the ranks of the Ministry of Magic's Auror Department. In fact he was slated to become the next Defense Department Head by many high ranking officials. Evelyn Potter had spent her time up until Mary Alice's birth working as a writer for Witch Weekly magazine. She had intended to continue doing this after her daughter was born but had not realized how much work a baby was actually going to be. Despite what all of her friends who had already become mother's told her. Despite all the parenting advice books she read. Despite what her own mother told her. If there was one obvious quality that Mary Alice inherited from her mother it was stubbornness. It was almost humorous once one realized the level of stubbornness that was present in each of the Potter woman, seeing as how easygoing the Potter men were. Perhaps it was simply to make up for how bull headed Evelyn and Mary Alice were, and later on Arabella but she wasn't part of the family in the beginning, so she cant be included in the initial analysis. For if Arabella was included then Sirius would have to be included as well and that would just throw everything off seeing as Sirius was easily just as stubborn, if not more so, then any of the three women. So begins our tale, of friendship, love, loyalty, betrayal, truth, darkness and sacrifice. Considering as he was quite obviously male it does nothing for the sake of the argument.

But where was I? Oh yes Mary Alice. She was a most troublesome child, colicky, never content, always pouting. In fact Evelyn and Harold began to worry that there was something wrong with their daughter as she grew from infant to toddler with much the same moodiness. Physically the child was quite normal, she had pretty hazel eyes with dark lashes, brown hair, four limbs and everything else seemed to be in the right places, ears, nose, eyes and whatever else have you. But for some reason she was off. Evelyn even started talking about taking her to some sort of specialist after a particularly traumatic event that ensued when Evelyn's mother visited the Potter family and Mary Alice refused to talk to her Grandmother, who eventually scolded Mary Alice. The young girl was not a fan of being scolded and promptly bit her Grandmother in the leg. Evelyn had been horrified; her Mother had been hollering something about, "Why in her right mind would she have married that Harold Potter? Of course he would produce demonic offspring. There had never been any question of that!" For his part Harold Potter had found the whole episode to be supremely hilarious and years later continued to retell the story to any that would listen, still laughing just as hard as he did when his young daughter had token a chunk out of the old ladies leg. "That's when I knew she was really Daddy's little girl," he always said, "Always watching out for me she is." It was after that very incident that Harold stopped worrying about his daughter all together. Evelyn yelled at him, threw fits, argued but it was no use, Harold was convinced that his daughter was perfectly fine. "Going around biting relatives just isn't normal behavior Harold!" she had tried reasoning, but her husband would hear none of it.

For some reason, Heavens knows why Harold Potter actually did seem to know what he was talking about in this case, "For once" Evelyn had said in a huff. Because shortly after Mary Alice's second birthday, October 22nd 1959 if you want to be exact about it, the Potter's had their second child. Evelyn had told Harold in no explicit terms something along the lines of, if this one acts anything like the first kid I am going to live in Spain until they are both done with the terrible twos, well it was something along those lines her actual words were slightly too PG-13 rated for this story, and that's really saying something as Evelyn Potter was not a PG-13 rated women. Of course all that can be forgiven when one realizes that Evelyn was in labor with her second child for close to seventeen hours, and at the time of this rather colorful speech was nearing the sixteenth hour of child labor.

But at the end of those seventeen hours, Harold and Evelyn Potter welcomed there son James Harold Potter into the world. Everything changed when James was born, but the most obvious was Mary Alice. She quite honestly became a different girl. You would think that a two year old is a two year old; they pretty much go through each day as they did the day before not really aware of their surroundings. But the day the Potter's brought James home from the hospital, it was as if Mary Alice found her calling. She was supposed to be James' best friend. While he was an infant Mary Alice hardly ever left his room, it was behavior that would eventually change drastically as the two aged and both would be embarrassed by its being mentioned once they reached school age. But at the time it was unbelievably sweet, she guarded his crib and no one sans Evelyn, Harold and Harold's parents got to come close. To say the least Evelyn's mother didn't get to spend much time with her infant Grandson. Not that Harold minded to say the least.

As Mary Alice and James grew they became nothing less then the best of best friends. Growing up in the Wizarding world before one enters school can be terribly lonely. But this proved to be of little matter for either of the Potter children. The two of them amused themselves for hours, running amuck inside, outside, causing trouble, horrifying the house elves and doing whatever it is that young children liked to do. A very obvious sort of alliance developed between the two, it drove Evelyn crazy to say the least. Neither would ever let the other take the fall for anything, no matter if they had acted single handedly or not. If Evelyn was reprimanding Mary Alice for breaking a vase or something of the sort, James would immediately claim that he had helped to do it and vice a versa. After a while Evelyn quit punishing her children, she could never get a straight story out of either one and it seemed pointless to punish anyone who seemed to accept punishment as some sort of badge of glory. This is exactly how both young Potter's thought of the reprimands and punishments their mother handed out.

To be fair though both children knew better then to speak when Harold Potter was upset, for as much trouble as they caused their mother; to upset their father was an entirely different game. Harold Potter was normally cheerful, calm and rarely raised his voice. After all being a top Auror tended to make one appreciate the calm of normal life a bit more, which was exactly what Harold did. When something interrupted the tranquility of his life outside work he was downright scary. Thankfully he rarely became upset.

Evelyn Potter surely would have gone mad if Mary Alice and James spent all their time together though, so early on she enlisted the help of several of her friends who had children around Mary Alice and James age, as was custom in the Wizarding world. Playmates tended to be the children of your parents friends, and seeing as Harold and Evelyn knew the majority of Wizarding families in Britain Mary Alice and James were rarely without playmates, "Thank god" Evelyn said. Evelyn had been best friends with Lucretia Black now Prewett all through her days at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she and her husband Ignatius were frequents guests at the Potter's home, Rose Hill Manor. They more often then not brought their two sons Fabian who was four years older then Mary Alice and Gideon who was two years older then Mary Alice. The four would run around playing Quidditch without brooms, seeing as Evelyn said, no child of hers was going to be up on a broomstick until they were at least nine, much to Harold's disappointment. In the winter they often had snow ball fights. But at the end it was always Mary Alice and James against Gideon and Fabian, or whatever playmates there parents drug up for them.

James positively worshipped the ground Mary Alice walked on, that would never change in a way. Mary Alice found an ally and an eager student in her younger brother. She taught him about Quidditch, the rules, the strategies, the leagues, the teams. In fact the reason his sister taught him about it might have had a slight effect on the obsession that James Potter would forever have when it came to that particular sport. Mary Alice taught James about pranks, much to Evelyn Potter's displeasure and Harold Potter's amusement. It was a knowledge that James Potter would one day put to good use. In fact in the years to come the teachers of Hogwarts really only had one, Mary Alice Potter to thank for instilling the knowledge of how to single handedly reek havoc on a castle that had never seen as much chaos in its thousands of years in existence, as it did thanks to four boys in the years to come.

For nine years Mary Alice and James spent practically every waking minute together. They were the best kind of brother and sister, they got along perfectly. Despite each having strong opinions instilled by two excellent parents, they always seemed to agree on everything. Of course it probably helped that they were very similar in the majority of respects, both would remain that way until years later when it was impossible to do so. But that is later to come.

When Mary Alice got her letter of acceptance to Hogwarts in the summer of 1968, she was nothing if not completely ecstatic. Her entire life she had heard tales of House Rivalries, friendships that would last a lifetime, secret passages, unimaginable feasts, magical creatures, unbelievable Quidditch matches…her small mind worked overtime planning out all that she would achieve in her time there. James of course, went right along with her, helping her dream of how she would lead her house team to the Quidditch Cup and then single handedly go on to pilot her house to wining the House Cup. What house did she dream of? Well Gryffindor of course. No Potter was ever in another house, well except for some Great Uncle of Hugh who was in Hufflepuff, but neither James nor Mary Alice knew a thing about him. Evelyn Potter, for her credit, had been in Ravenclaw, but Harold had teasingly told the children once, "I can overlook that. After all she wasn't a Potter yet." Evelyn and hit him in the arm and told her children, "Ravenclaw is perfectly respectable thank you very much, as is any house." Both children knew that Gryffindor was where the fun was however, so were more then determined to be placed into that house; opposed to any other.

James never really registered that his sister going away to Hogwarts, meant she would be leaving him. In fact it never really sank in until he was leaving Kings Cross Station after seeing Mary Alice on to the Hogwarts Express on September 1st. She had hugged him and told him to make Mother's life difficult for her, something Evelyn Potter had rolled her eyes at. Mary Alice had promised to write him and tell him about all of her adventures and that she couldn't wait to see him at Christmas time.

To be quite honest to a nine year old boy whose entire world revolved around him older sister, realizing that he would be without her from now on for nearly seven months out of the year was completely heart wrenching. But he took his cues from Mary Alice and never shed a tear. After all he couldn't ever seen Mary Alice cry in his memory, true Evelyn often said that she cried so much as a baby her tear ducts probably didn't work properly, but that was beyond James realm of knowledge. So it was from an early age that he resolved to be as tough as his big sister. He decided somewhere in his young mind that the better he became at all the things they did together by the time he next saw her, the more impressed Mary Alice would be. As a young boy that was what James Potter wanted most, to impress his big sister. Interestingly enough that would be what he spent most of his life attempting to do, impress girls that is.

So as soon as the Potter family minus Mary Alice got him from King's Cross Station on September 1st 1968, James Potter started practicing Quidditch. He practiced day in and day out for the next two years. He taught himself tricks, maneuvers, stunts, things most people had never seen or heard of. That became what he was known for one day after he two began school, but at the time it was only a little boy passing the time without his best friend. He missed her terribly at Quidditch being both of their first loves seemed to make her that much closer to her.

Little did he know that Mary Alice sat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express by herself that day and cried because she missed her little brother.

Well until she met Alice Whitman and Emmeline Vance who would interestingly enough become her best friends at school. But really that is for another chapter.


	3. The New Neighbors

**The New Neighbors**

James and Mary Alice peered out a window from the third story of their imposing home. The two children ages eleven and thirteen were trying as hard as they could to get a look at their new neighbors. It had been a three day effort that had so far proved unsuccessful. But to be fair most of Godric's Hollow was probably trying to catch a glimpse of the newest residents of Whistling Wood Way. After all the new neighbors reputation did tend to precede them. The Chiavatti's, straight from southern Italy, the husband was the very rich, very famous, Italian Ambassador of Magic to the Ministry.

The wife, well no one really knew what she did, that is besides throw extravagant parties, spend a fortune on designer robes straight from Paris and always look incredibly beautiful. But despite the very obvious intrigue and mystery that surrounded the Ambassador and his beautiful wife Mary Alice and James were much more interested in the rumors they kept hearing about the Chiavatti's daughter. Apparently the girl was about James age and she was the spitting image of her mother, only smaller. Her clothes were always wrinkle free and her hair was always perfect. She never spoke out of turn and did exactly what she was told. In other words, the little girl was the perfect child.

Now Mary Alice and James had met many children between them and never had either of them encountered a child such as this. So needless to say their curiosity was peeked. On top of very much wanting to see this elusive Chiavatti daughter, getting a proper look at the enormous estate that the Chiavatti's had built for there selves was quite amazing in itself. It was by far the largest home either Potter child had ever seen, and the Potter's weren't exactly hurting for money.

Mary Alice and James had sat a top the back stair case the night before. The staircase which led down into the back sitting room; where Evelyn and Harold had been sitting. Evelyn had been saying how ridiculous she thought it was that anyone would feel the need to show off their money like that. Harold, who had obviously not really been listening to her, "probably reading the paper" James had whispered to his sister, was monotonously agreeing with everything his wife said. "Don't you think its silly Harold" Evelyn had complained, "There are only three of them and that house is four times the size of ours." "Yes dear" Harold grunted. "What on earth would they need to live in such a large home for? It's just for show really. People like that really irritate me. Show offs is what I call them." "Of course dear."

It was around that point that Evelyn must have realized that her husband really wasn't listening to her for the conversation took taken a sudden turn that caused Mary Alice and James to clamp their lips shut to break out in hysterical giggles. "Yes that Mrs. Chiavatti I hear she throws some real wild parties. Has all these exotic animals imported from Africa. Really puts the wild in party apparently when you have to share your martini with a Giraffe." "That's right dear" "The Minster of Magic is married to a Hippogriff" "I know dear" "Ignatius Prewett asked me to go on a romantic vacation with him" That comment had gotten Harold's attention. Apparently Evelyn and Ignatius Prewett had dated back in school and although James and Mary Alice did not know then nor did they ever find out, Harold Potter had a supreme dislike for the man for some reason, especially when it came to his wife. "WHAT?" Harold asked loudly. "Oh that got your attention then?" Evelyn asked sounding a cross between annoyed and amused. Mary Alice had finally snorted at this point and Evelyn had called up the stairs for the two of them to stop ease dropping and go to bed.

So the next day Mary Alice and James had resumed their posts at the great bay window in their nursery attempting to see some small glimpse of their next door neighbors. Armed with new gossip straight from the mouth of their mother James was especially excited, "I wonder when their going to bring the wild animals in?" he asked his sister excitedly. Mary Alice starred at her brother with a funny expression on her face, "Er…I'm pretty sure Mum wasn't serious about that." James looked at Mary Alice like she was crazy, "What yes she was I heard her she said she didn't think it would be much fun to share her martini glass with a giraffe I heard her!" Mary Alice starred at her brother but didn't have a chance to answer as Evelyn burst into the room, "James, Marigold you must get ready for dinner were having guests! They will be here very quickly and…hang on why are you starring out the window?"

The two siblings glanced quickly at each other as there mother looked at them with suspiciously narrowed eyes. "Umm we were watching for my Hogwarts owl" James supplied quickly. "I'm sure you were" Evelyn said in a voice that said she clearly was sure that's definitely not what they were doing, "since its June and everyone knows Hogwarts owl's wont start coming until then end of July at the very earliest." "Well see Mum" Mary Alice began, a complicated explanation already forming in her head. "No, no" Evelyn Potter cried, "I don't even want to hear it. Really I don't. Just go put on something nice. Now!" Muttering about how her children were clearly involved in some sort of evil ploy to make her lose her mind Evelyn turned to leave the room. "Mum" James called after the petite woman, "whose coming?" Evelyn poked her head back in the room, "Our new neighbors and their daughter. Apparently your father felt the need to just go and invite them to day while he was at work and not let me now until thirty minutes before they are supposed to arrive. Now GO get ready for Merlin's sake."

James opened his mouth and looked at Mary Alice with excitement, "oh this is perfect! Let's play a prank on the girl!" Evelyn who both children thought had left walked back into the doorway, "What was that James Harold Potter?" she demanded. "Er nothing Mum" Mary Alice laughed nervously, "James was just saying that we should umm make sure to say…thanks to the girl for moving to our neighborhood." Evelyn shook her head, "Nice try Marigold. You two don't do anything to embarrass me unless you want your father to hear about it and I am serious." This time she left for real, making quite a bit of noise as she tripped over a pair of James trainers in the hallway, "JAMES! CLEAN UP YOUR MESS!" she hollered over her shoulder.

"So should we be good and listen to Mum?" Mary Alice asked her little brother. "If you want to have no fun and listen to all of them talk about new regulations on shipping magic carpets or something interesting like that," James said with a small smile. Mary Alice looked at him, "Right you are little brother. Right you are."

So it was an hour later The Potter family sat in their grand dining room with one of the most well known families in Wizarding Europe, the Chiavattis. Mrs. Chiavatti, or Countess Chiavatti, as she introduced herself to a very skeptical and annoyed looking Evelyn Potter was extremely good looking just as James and Mary Alice had heard. Mr. Chiavatti, the Ambassador, was extremely intimidating. The daughter was just as James and Mary Alice had heard as well, the spitting image of her mother and extremely well mannered. It could be said the family was one of extremes, in more ways then they originally thought, as the Potters would eventually learn. But the girl, Arabella Carmina as her very formal parents had introduced her, was the only thing the Potter siblings were focused on that evening.

Arabella was so prim and proper neither knew a thing to say to her. James had said hi to her immediately upon being introduced, he had thought she looked excited when he had greeted her so enthusiastically but he had been wrong apparently, she had smiled quietly and shook his hand. Mary Alice saw what James did not, for when her little brother greeted the girl Arabella's mother quickly shot her daughter a look of obvious disapproval as Arabella started to smile widely. How odd, thought Mary Alice.

Dinner was no different either. Arabella sat at her spot at the table between her father and mother, silently not looking up from her plate. The Ambassador and his wife spent the entire meal talking about the extravagant vacation they had just had in Egypt. Evelyn Potter was shooting a very irritated look at her husband, as Mrs. Chiavatti laughed softly as she described a camel ride she had gone on, "It was Orribile, Pauroso! They want me to ride enorme animal, I don't ride any animal! Do I look like I ride animal I ask?' Mr. Chiavatti laughed along with his wife and continued his wife's story, he spoke noticeably better English, "I came up to them and I repeated exactly what she said. Does she look like she is getting on that camel? The man just looked ridiculous and didn't say a thing, it was absolutely hilarious."

Both of the Chiavatti's broke into hysterical laughter, none of the Potter's joined in. That is not in the slightest bit funny, Evelyn Potter thought; I am going to kill Harold for inviting them over for dinner. Gosh I should be laughing along to be polite but that just isn't funny, Harold Potter thought; Evelyn is looking at me like she wants to kill me, there is no way this is going to end well. I wonder what's wrong with Arabella; she seems completely out of it, thought Mary Alice as she stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork. This is going to be the best prank ever, James thought gleefully. Mr. and Mrs. Chiavatti didn't even notice they were the only one's laughing. Arabella rolled her eyes, could her parents be anymore into themselves. Probably not, she reasoned.

Evelyn Potter resisted the urge to beat her face against the table as Mrs. Chiavatti launched into her next story, which the main purpose was to let the Potter's know how wealthy they actually were. She was cut off mid way through when she felt something slimy against her leg. "AHHHHHHHHH" she screamed hysterically leaping up from the table, sending her plate flying towards the ceiling. "My good china" Evelyn screamed just as loud as she watched her treasured plate hurtling back toward earth. "What is the matter il mio amore" Mr. Chiavatti asked worriedly as Mrs. Chiavatti ran away from the table. "MARY ALICE" roared Harold Potter, "what did you do?' "I didn't do a thing" Mary Alice cried back, "why do you always blame me for everything?" "Excellent" James yelled excitedly. "Oh for God's sake" muttered Arabella leaning under the table to pick up whatever it was that had startled her mother so greatly.

"ENOUGH" yelled Harold Potter jumping up, pointed his wand at the china plate that was dangerously close to hitting the table and cried "Wingardium Leviosa". The plate hovered inches above the table. Mary Alice and James looked at each other. Mrs. Chiavatti was practically sobbing in the corner and Mr. Chiavatti, who was covered with the remnants of his wife's meal, was casting worried looks at Mrs. Chiavatti. Evelyn grabbed the plate out of mid air and made a mad dash to the kitchen, just as Arabella popped up from under the table. "Look mamma" she exclaimed brightly in a noticeably Italian accent which none of the Potters had caught earlier, from the few words she had uttered quietly, "It's just a frog."

Mrs. Chiavatti screamed even louder. "Did you bring that here Arabella Carmina" Mr. Chiavatti yelled standing up suddenly. Arabella's mouth dropped open as her eyes moved from the large green bullfrog in her hand to James across the table. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at her new neighbor and interestingly she looked quite scary. James gulped all traces of his excitement at his little trick vanishing quickly. Mr. Chiavatti started yelling at his daughter in Italian. Arabella didn't say a thing; she simply looked down at the frog in her hand and tapped her foot impatiently. Mrs. Chiavatti sniffled in the corner. Harold Potter observed the entire situation with a dumb stuck look on his face.

Later on that evening after the very worked up Chiavatti family had left, Mr. Chiavatti apologizing profusely for his daughter's behavior, "We aren't sure why she does things like this, she just does. We can't talk any sense into her. She just insists on being naughty", Harold Potter sent Mary Alice and James out into the yard. It was something he only did when he was very upset and needed a chance to calm down before saying anything to them. It was times like these in which Mary Alice and James were both unable to find their usual smiles which they always seemed to wear on their faces. "He is pretty mad" James muttered under his breath. Mary Alice nodded her head, "Probably should have listened to Mum on that one don't you think". James nodded wordlessly. "I wonder what he is going to do" Mary Alice asked out loud, not really expecting an answer. "Probably ground us for all eternity or something like that" James said looking at the ground.

"Well you probably deserve it you know" said a third voice from behind Mary Alice and James. Both Potter children whipped around to look at who the voice belonged to. Arabella Chiavatti was standing quite still, her arms crossed and a smirk upon her face. James was shocked to see the expression never imagining something so unladylike would ever be upon his new neighbors face. "How do you figure that" James asked coolly. "Well you almost gave my mamma a heart attack, and then my father practically had a stroke from yelling at me. Plus I am in trouble for something that I had no part in whatsoever."

Mary Alice and James exchanged a look, both felt rather guilty about the entire incident. "Honestly" continued Arabella clearly enjoying herself, "If I am going to be the one who gets in trouble for your little tricks wouldn't you at least be courteous enough to let me know what is going on beforehand. If you really wanted to scare my mother you should have put the frog in her wine glass or something." A wide grin spread across James' face, he could hardly believe what he was hearing. "That's ingenious" Mary Alice cried, "In the food, rather then under the table! How on earth did I not think of that?" Arabella grinned at the girl. But the moment was cut short when the looming figure of Harold Potter shadowed over the three children, "Mary Alice, James I need to speak with you inside now." Noticing Arabella he smiled, "Hello there Arabella didn't you go home with your parents?" Arabella turned and smiled sweetly up at the man, "Oh yes Mr. Potter, I just felt though I should come back and apologize for ruining your dinner party." Mr. Potter looked very perplexed as he processed what the tiny girl was saying.

James and Mary Alice's jaws both dropped as they realized that this girl that neither of them knew was willingly taking the heat for both of them. "I just thought I would have a bit of fun and didn't mean for it to get so out of hand. I hope you can forgive me, I was just over here apologizing to James and Mary Alice." Harold Potter studied Arabella for a moment, knowing full well that his children were behind the incident that had occurred earlier in the evening. For once in his life he could not figure out his next move. Finally he let out a sigh, "Well would you like to come inside for some ice cream Arabella?" James and Mary Alice glanced at each other unsure of what to think, but both knowing that there was something about their new neighbor that they definitely liked.


	4. How Lily Evans came to be

**How Lily Evans came to be**

Lily couldn't help but stare at everything that was going on around her. She knew it was rude, but honestly she had only seen real magic one other time. It had been last week in fact when her parents had taken her to Diagon Ally, but they had been rather anxious about the street and all the very odd people on it and had proceeded to rush Lily through buying her school supplies and got out of there. But now as she stood by herself on Platform 9 and ¾ surrounded by witches and wizards on all sides, she could stare all she wanted. Well until a pretty girl with long white blonde hair, who was obviously older then Lily, made a nasty face at her. Looking down at her feet nervously Lily pulled her cart, loaded with her large trunk towards the other side of the platform. Lily made a mental note to stay as far away from the blonde haired girl as possible.

Lily was slightly unnerved to say the very least, especially when a woman next to her pulled out her wand to clean the dirt off of her sons cheek. "Really Fabian," she reprimanded him, "you're a seventh year yet you must run around like a twelve year old. However are all the other Gryffindor students supposed to respect their Quidditch captain if he acts like an imbecile?" The boy merely grinned merrily at the woman, who was obviously his mother. Lily's mind reeled, what in the world is Quidditch, she thought uneasily, or a Gryffindor.

This whole strange world which she had been suddenly thrown into seemed completely unbelievable. It had not been that long ago that she had simply been your average eleven year old getting ready to go onto the same boarding school her mother had attended. It seemed like an eternity ago but in truth it had only been a little less then two months prior. The day which she became aware of magic and this entire other world of which her parents knew nothing, would be a day which would forever stand out in her mind.

Lily had been sitting at her breakfast table in her family's pleasant suburban home on Chantrey Close in Ashtead a small town in Surrey. She had just taken a bite of corn flakes, her mother Linnea was standing with her back to Lily humming Beethoven's fifth symphony while she buttered toast. Her father George was muttering under his breath about the state of Parliament and Petunia, her older sister, was trying to feed her banana to the families cat, Chopin (Mr. and Mrs. Evans were great fans of classical music perhaps almost obsessive but that's not the point).

Suddenly from the open windowed had swooped of all things an owl, George Evans had been the first to react standing straight up and proceeding to spill his tea all over the table and his newspaper. "W-What is this? LINNEA THERE IS A BLOODY BIRD IN OUR KITCHEN!"

Linnea Evans was staring in shock as the bird set its self down on the wooden table calmly hopped around the margarine dish and deposited a letter next to Lily's hand, which had been frozen in mid air as she had been just about to take another bite of her corn flakes. It was at this point that Petunia had begun screaming; she jumped out of her chair and ran from the room in hysterics.

The owl looked around at the Evans family haughtily and proceeded to stretch out its wings and soar back out the open window. Lily, Linnea and George all starred at the letter unsure of what to do, say or think, all to the tune of Petunia's hysterical screams coming from the other room.

Well I guess you should open it Lily" George finally said. "No I don't think its safe George" Eloise cried. "Well it's addressed to her Linnea, what do you suggest?"

"I think you should open it!" Linnea said desperately to her husband.

"Linnea won't you please be reasonable! I can't open her mail, that's incredibly rude" George reminded his wife. George Evans was always one for etiquette and civility.

Lily by this time had let her curiosity get the best of her had opened the letter unbeknownst to both her parents. The words in side forever changed her life.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin First Class, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Evans,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

_**Minerva McGonagall**_

Minerva McGonagall

Linnea and George had stopped talking once they saw their youngest daughter reading the letter in question. Lily looked up at parents, her eyes as large as small dinner plates. "I-I think I-I'm a witch," she breathed.

* * *

Thank you to all of you who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate it! 


	5. Diagon Ally

**Diagon Ally**

On that same day, elsewhere in England another letter, (well to be precise two more letters were delivered). The reaction that followed the arrival of these letters was quite different then the reaction of one Lily Evans and her family.

"JAMES!" screamed Mary Alice Potter, a thirteen year old witch with dark hair and dark eyes, although both were hidden by the pillow that was covering her head and the young boy who was sitting a top the pillow laughing maniacally. "That should teach you to switch my soap with the stuff from Zonko's!" James hollered triumphantly, "I still smell like a frog" he muttered to himself, "and I am having the strangest craving to eat flies…" Shaking his head he decided it was better to not ponder the odd urge he was having. "MUM" cried Mary Alice as loudly as she could beneath the very fluffy down pillow covering her head.

A short, thin woman, with hair the same color as James's appeared in the doorway. "Oh for all the stars in the sky I mean really! James get off your sister, she can't breathe." James made a face at his mother and proceeded to role off Mary Alice. Mary Alice threw the pillow off of her head and gasped for air. "You're an idiot James" she wheezed. "You're an idiot James" he mimicked as he dodged the swing Mary Alice had aimed at his head. "Just wait till I get to Hogwarts Mary Alice, you think your so great now just wait until everyone only knows you as the big sister of the great James Potter" James declared as he grinned evilly. "Yeah that will be the day" Mary Alice smirked.

Evelyn pierced her lips and surveyed her children with annoyance. She was almost as excited as her son for him to get his acceptance letter to Hogwarts. It would provide her with the independence and free time that she had not had in thirteen years. Once James joined his sister at school she would be able to drink an entire cup of tea in one sitting or perhaps take a bath instead of a two minute shower. Maybe Evelyn would even be able to go back to work. The very thought of how exciting these opportunities were, made Evelyn Potter positively giddy with excitement. However the excitement must have been causing a very odd expression to cross her face because both James and Mary Alice were starring at their mother with puzzled expressions on their faces.

"Ahem" Evelyn cleared her throat and shook her head slightly embarrassed, "I just wanted to tell you both to hurry on downstairs for breakfast. Arabella is here and she is talking to your father." James jumped off of the bed and hurried out the door and down the hall. Mary Alice yawned and leaned back on the bed, "So Mum do you think it's a bit odd that James hasn't gotten his Hogwarts letter yet? I got mine well before now the summer before my first year didn't I?" Evelyn starred at her daughter as she felt her dreams crash down around her. "I-I do think your right. Oh dear. I should go speak to your father." As Mary Alice watched her mother hurry out of the room she couldn't help but think she probably shouldn't have said anything.

As is turned out it didn't matter that Mary Alice had said anything, despite Evelyn getting supremely worked up and yelling at Harold for a good fifteen minutes in his study about something that neither Arabella, Mary Alice or James could hear although all three pressed their ears against the think wooden double doors in hopes of overhearing what was going on, James ended up receiving his Hogwarts letter the next day. Arabella had gotten her own letter the week before, but had politely not mentioned this detail until the day James received his own. After Arabella was very polite and loved the Potter's, so she was not in the market to upset any of them.

Arabella had spent nearly every waking moment of the summer holidays with the Potter's. In the few short months since she had moved to England with her family Arabella had practically become a fixture in the Potter's house. Every member of the household adored Arabella. James, Arabella and Mary Alice spent nearly every day that summer practicing Quidditch. Mary Alice was dead set on making the Gryffindor House Quidditch team in the upcoming school year, and James and Arabella would never argue having to play Quidditch. Initially Quidditch was what really brought the three children together, in the years to come there would be many other reasons why they would cherish the relationship that existed between them, but at first it was all about Quidditch.

Evelyn and Harold realized early on that although the Chiavatti's were very well off and highly respected in the Wizarding community, they lacked in the area of parenting skills. Shortly after meeting Arabella they fell in love with the little girl. Arabella in turn grew to regard the Potter's as sort of surrogate parents. Not that Ruggerio or Belladonna Chiavatti really minded, actually neither of them really noticed their daughter was hardly ever home.

So when Evelyn and Harold Potter offered to take Arabella with them to Diagon Ally to purchase school supplies the week before the three children were scheduled to leave for Hogwarts they were more surprised then anything else. "You want to take Arabella with you? That's very nice but I simply couldn't ask you to do that. She is simply more trouble then she is worth," Ruggerio Chiavatti told Evelyn Potter. Evelyn's mouth dropped open in shock. It was beyond her that anyone could talk about their child that way.

Harold Potter seeing how upset his wife was took the opportunity to cut off anything that she was about to say. "Ruggerio really we would love to have Arabella come with us. We will be taking James and Mary Alice to get their things anyways, it would be no trouble. Besides the two of them absolutely love Arabella, so it would be our pleasure to take her along." Belladonna set down the glass of wine she was drinking, "How do they know Arabella so well? Didn't they only meet her that one time?" Evelyn narrowed her eyes at the women, "She has been over at our house all summer," she snapped with annoyance. Belladonna didn't even notice however. "Oh that's where she has been. I have hardly seen her since we moved here. I just thought she was up in her room."

So as a result Arabella went along with a very irritated Evelyn, Harold, Mary Alice and James to Diagon Ally. Arabella had never been to Diagon Ally although she had heard plenty about it. James on the other hand had been there numerous times and seemed to know half the people milling around the cobblestone street behind the Leaky Cauldron. But everyone seemed to know Harold Potter, he had to stop every three steps to say hello to someone else, after a short while James and Mary Alice were getting very annoyed while Arabella was positively giddy that no one knew who she was. Back in Italy as well as here in England her father, Ruggerio Chiavatti, was one of the most famous political leaders. Everyone knew who he was, just as they knew her mother was.

So Arabella had grown up in the shadow of two of the most famed wizard and witches in Europe, but now here with the Potter's she was just another kid and she loved it. Despite Harold being clearly well known, he enjoyed a bit more anonymity then the Chiavatti's and people didn't seem to look on the Potter family members with the scrutiny that Arabella so readily recognized from the way everyone looked at her family. "For the love of Merlin do you think Dad could take any longer" Mary Alice whispered to James. "I know this is getting ridiculous, we have been in Diagon Ally for twenty five minutes and we haven't even gone in a single store yet" James whispered back.

When they finally arrived in Ollivanders Mary Alice was positively glaring at her father. "Ah Harold Potter" Mr. Ollivander said as he hurried over to the family, "Evelyn" he greeted, "Marigold". This did nothing to help Mary Alice's mood. "It's Mary Alice Mr. Ollivander" she snapped. Evelyn poked her in the back of the head and hissed, "Be polite!" Mr. Ollivander either didn't notice or pretended that he didn't, because he had turned to James. "James Potter, I thought I would be seeing you this week. Is it finally time for you to join your sister at school?"

James smiled uncomfortably up at the shopkeeper, "Er yes" he said uncertainly. Mr. Ollivander nodded and turned to Arabella, "I can't say that I recognize you Miss, are you going to Hogwarts as well." Arabella puffed up her chest importantly, "yes I will be starting my first year in September." Mr. Ollivander smiled at the girl in his usual odd manner turning he began to rummage through the rows of wand boxes behind him;

James noticed that Mr. Ollivander had not asked Arabella her name. Although James also noticed that Arabella hadn't offered it either, shrugging he focused back on Mr. Ollivander who was digging in large pile of boxes muttering under his breath in a very curious manner, "Ah yes Mr. Potter lets try this wand…thirteen inches Yew". James grabbed the wand Mr. Ollivander was holding out to him only to have it snatched back at once. "No, no that doesn't seem to be it" muttered Mr. Ollivander, "try this one 12 inches ash". Grasping the wand that was being held out to him, he waved it around a bit causing the entire contents of the top row of one of the mammoth shelves to crash to the floor.

Finally at least twenty minutes later James, Arabella and the rest of the Potter family emerged from Ollivanders with two new wands in their midst. James had found his wand quickly compared to Arabella. He examined it now as he held it in his hands an obvious look of pride on his face as he memorized the exact measurements of his wand, eleven inches, mahogany, pliable. It was perfect.

Arabella on the other hand had blown up half the shop while trying to find the perfect wand for her. James had a feeling that all though Mr. Ollivander had not known who Arabella was when she walked into his shop that morning, she was definitely someone he would soon forget. Nor wood the floor of his shop, which had very obvious burn marks up and down its length thanks to Arabella.

Still Arabella didn't seem to upset as she also was looking at the wand she was carrying with pride. "Don't you think its fantastic Mary Alice" Arabella said excitedly, "ten inches, Runespoor Fang, quite durable, excellent for defense against the dark arts!" Mary Alice raised her eyebrows at Arabella, "yeah I guess its good," she said. "No it's great! I'm going to be an Auror just like your dad, I always knew it. Now I know for sure." "Right" Mary Alice said, secretly thinking Arabella had lost her mind, "Because the type of wand you have totally determines what you do with the rest of your life."

"Oh quit being such a wet blanket" Arabella said with annoyance, as she walked off the join James.


	6. The Hogwarts Express

**The Hogwarts Express**

Before Lily Evan's knew what was happening she had been thrown into a magical world that she could not have even dreamt of in her wildest fantasies. Somehow she had survived a very eventful trip to Diagon Ally with her parents; it was a miracle to think they had gotten through the trip to be truthful. Between her mother who had looked positively terrified by everything magical and had attempted to hide behind Lily's father, who himself had been completely enthralled with everything in Diagon Ally.

In fact he had stopped every couple steps to examine a trinket or a window display, all the while muttering things like "fascinating" and "unbelievable" under his breath. After the trip in which she had purchased her school books, with a rather remarkable set of currency, or remarkable had been the word George Evans had used to describe the gold, silver and bronze coins that the "astonishing" Goblins at the "remarkable" Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

Every day since their trip to Diagon Ally Lily had kept a countdown on her Herman's Hermits Wall Calendar. George Evans had spoken non stop about Diagon Ally for most of August and was possibly more excited then Lily for her to leave for Hogwarts. Linnea Evans had made a strange noise in her throat whenever Hogwarts was brought up and proceeded to retreat to the kitchen and begin baking without stop for several hours. Needless to say between the constant discussions about Hogwarts between Lily and her father, the Evans family home was overflowing with an abundance of biscuits, cakes, casseroles and tarts by the time September 1st rolled around.

Petunia had been another case entirely, all though she and Lily had never been the best of friends once Lily had gotten her letter by owl that fateful morning in the kitchen, Petunia would hardly look at Lily. She would hardly make eye contact with her sister in fact. George Evans told Lily not to worry, that it was just a phase and surely Petunia would grow out of it. Lily had nothing to do but listen to her father. Besides Lily had other things to worry about then her sister's petulant mood swings, for September 1st was fast approaching. Then finally one day it came.

On the morning of September 1st Lily found her self standing all alone on Platform 9 ¾. Looking around nervously she realized the older boy whom she had shyly asked for directions to get on the platform and disappeared. Clutching the cart which she was pushing her trunk on as though her life depended on it, her green eyes darted from one side of the platform to the next.

Lily was slightly unnerved to say the very least, especially when a woman next to her pulled out her wand to clean the dirt off of her sons cheek. Although she had seen quite a bit of magic when she had been in Diagon Ally she still was not used to seeing it performed. "Really Fabian," the woman who had pulled out her wand reprimanded her blonde haired son, "you're a seventh year yet you must run around like a twelve year old. However are all the other Gryffindor students supposed to respect their Quidditch captain if he acts like an imbecile?"

The boy merely grinned merrily at the woman, who was obviously his mother. Lily's mind reeled, what in the world is Quidditch, she thought uneasily, or a Gryffindor. This whole strange world which she had been suddenly thrown into seemed completely unbelievable. Had it really been a little less then a month and a half before that she had gotten her Hogwarts letter?

Taking a deep breath Lily hoisted her bag upon her back and pushed her trunk forward, all the while keenly aware that no one was faintly aware of the small eleven year old girl making her way through throngs of happy families. She had the sudden urge to run back through the barrier which she had some how managed to get through, despite not having the slightest clue how, and find her parents. No, she told herself, you wanted to come here you're going to do this. As she boarded the shiny black train sitting along side the platform she observed the words, HOGWARTS EXPRESS, which were emblazoned in red along the side.

Thankfully she quickly found an unoccupied compartment and slid inside. Sitting down she looked out the window. Immediately her eyes fell upon a dark haired family standing directly below her window. The father and the son looked remarkably similar, each wearing glasses and sporting a messy mop of dark hair. Next to them stood two girls and what Lily could only assume was their mother.

The woman was obviously lecturing the older of the two girls, who had the same colored hair as the man and the son. The older girl had her hands on her hips and was rolling her eyes at her mother in clear annoyance. The younger girl was attempting to hold in laughter as she looked away from the two other females.

As Lily examined the younger girl more carefully she saw that despite initial appearances she was obviously not a member of the dark haired family. The girl was much shorter then everyone else in the family for one thing, but on top of that the dark hair color was the only thing she had in common with any of them. She had long dark eyelashes and sky blue eyes. Her hair was wavy and she had an exotic look to her. She was quite pretty even for a young girl. Finally Lily looked away and down at the floor. She wondered if anyone was going to sit by her. Probably not, she decided.

She realized that she really was on her own once the train started to move away from the station and no one had ventured into her compartment. What if no one likes me, worried Lily, what if everyone already knows each other and they all just laugh at me. Getting close to hysterics Lily attempted to calm herself down, by breathing deeply and loudly.

She was so worked up she didn't even notice the compartment door slide open. Lily was startled from her state of panic by a voice, "Are you alright?"

Lily whipped her head around to see the pretty girl from below the window earlier. "Oh yes I'm fine sorry," Lily said feeling her worry evaporate around her. "Do you mind if I sit in here?" The girl asked she had a definite accent that Lily couldn't quite place. "Oh no not at all" Lily replied at once starring at the girl, trying to figure out why this girl wanted to sit in the same compartment as she. "I'm Lily Evans" Lily said.

The girl did not immediately take it however as she observed Lily with squinted eyes, "Lily are you a Muggle?" she finally asked. "Er…am I a what?" asked Lily nervously. "Obviously" said the girl with a matter of fact tone to her voice. "It is what we call witches and wizards who don't come from magical families. I certainly could care less, but you will find there are some people who care quite a bit." Lily still continued to stare at the girl not having the slightest clue what to say. "No matter" said the girl with a grin. Suddenly realizing Lily's hand was outstretched she giggled and shook it heartily. "Sorry I'm Arabella, Arabella Chiavatti."

"So are you a first year" Arabella asked. Lily nodded emphatically. "I bet you don't know anyone do you?" said Arabella, "No, not a soul" Lily said shyly. "Well that's no matter" Arabella said, " I don't really know anyone either well except for the Potter's that is" Arabella paused here to look at Lily again, Lily made no movement, and Arabella went back to talking, "No of course you wouldn't know them either. Well that's fine you know me now and I know you". Lily smiled and thought to herself, yes and I am beginning to think that will be a very good thing.

"Well we moved here from Italy this summer. My Dad is the Italian Ambassador to the Ministry of Magic" Arabella paused as she took a bite from her cauldron cake and looked inquisitively up at Lily from where she lay across the opposite train compartment seat. "Ah I keep forgetting you don't know anything!" she said exasperatedly.

"Well I know some things" muttered Lily indignantly, "I can do addition and subtraction and such." Arabella rolled her eyes, "Not quite what I meant Lily but anyway, the Ministry of Magic is the government- you have a government in the Muggle world right?" Lily nodded, "It's called Parliament and we have a Prime Minister, he is in charge of everything."

"Yeah I think I have heard about that" said Arabella thoughtfully as she took another bite of her Cauldron Cake. "Well then you know what Im talking about at least. Anyway we moved here this summer, my parents have been building this house here all last year. Its really something, a bit much if you ask me and I like big houses don't get me wrong.

But the thing I was really happy about is that it's down the street from the Potters, ill introduce you later Im sure you will love them. I spent most of my summer with them. There the nicest people ever. The have one son James, he is in the same year as us, then there is Mary Alice she is a third year."

Lily found it a bit strange that Arabella spent most of the rest of the train ride talking about this Potter family and didn't give her family one more mention but quickly forget once the compartment door opened again.

"Oh there you are Bella" cried the boy Lily recognized from the scene outside her window earlier in the day. He did indeed have exceptionally messy hair and his glasses appeared to be sitting a bit lopsided on his face. He was looking about quite excitedly. "I've been looking for you for a good hour! I wanted to tell you that I met the Blacks!

You know that family Dad was telling us about! They really are all completely stuck up. There is this one boy I think about our age, Sirius, I think his name is, and let me tell you what, this kid is a real piece of work!"

James looked up suddenly realizing there was someone else in the compartment. Staring at Lily he asked, "Who are you?" Lily was slightly taken back by the boy's rude greeting. "Um Lily Evans" she said with a bit of an edge to her normally tranquil tone. The boy was either to stupid or far to preoccupied to notice, "Oh James Potter" he said quickly before turning back to Arabella.

"Do you want to come see?" he asked Arabella excitedly. Arabella shook her head, "Not right now James Im talking to Lily". James stared at her with obvious surprise written across his face. "Erm..." he looked at Lily and back at Arabella, "Why" he said in a loud stage whisper. Lily opened her mouth in shock at the rude boy. "James" cried Arabella, "Get out!" James shrugged his shoulders, grinned and left the compartment. "Sorry" muttered Arabella, "He must have had too much sugar or something. He is usually very nice."

"I bet" muttered Lily obliviously unconvinced, however she was interrupted as the train began to slow down. Arabella jumped from her seat as squealed, "were here!" Both young girls quickly threw their robes on over their clothes and pressed their noses to the window. "I can't believe this is actually happening" Lily said more to herself then anyone else. Arabella laughed.

A bit later after Lily was shocked by several unexpected events including witnessing the largest man she had ever seen, having to ride in boats that were self powered, or "magic" as Arabella had whispered in her ear with another laugh, and being thoroughly intimidated by several no nonsense looking professors in the Entry Hall Lily and the other first years had made it into the Great Hall.

She knew it was called the Great Hall because Arabella had told her. Arabella seemed to know everything. At the moment she was completely grateful that someone, anyone in fact had taken pity on her and decided to guide her through the events at hand.

James looked around the Great Hall in awe. Mary Alice had told him how extravagant the gigantic room was but she hadn't really done it justice. He looked at the impossibly long tables that sat running the length of the room.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Fabian Prewett a sixth year Gryffindor if he remembered correctly, who waved to him and grinned widely. James smiled back all through out of nervousness he was sure it look much more like a grimace. A little bit farther down the Gryffindor table he saw several girls that he knew very well, his sisters best friends in fact, Emmeline Vance a third year girl with long blondish brown hair and a reserved attitude.

Next to her sat Alice Whitman, who James had always thought was one of the best looking girls he knew. Apparently from stories that Mary Alice told most of the Hogwarts male population below fifth year also agreed with him. Across from both of them sat his sister who was making faces at him. All three girls waved at him, well Mary Alice rolled her eyes at him but Emmeline and Alice waved. James waved back as inconspicuously as he could, trying to not let anyone else see the three girls waving at him.

He could feel a blush creeping up his cheeks, on fantastic; he thought to himself, Mary Alice was sure not to let him forget that.

Arabella looked around the room. She had already spotted Mary Alice attempting to make James completely miserable and embarrass him as much a possible before the year even began. With a grin Arabella had realized that Mary Alice was succeeding marvelously.

The Sorting Ceremony was about to begin apparently because Arabella had noticed the Professor who had led them into the Great Hall had set a hat out upon a old wooden rickety stool at the front of the Hall.

Arabella was pleased to realize that she was one of the only first years who had been expecting the hat, thank god for Mary Alice, she thought to herself. In deed a boy next to her leaned over to his friend beside him and whispered, "Is that how their planning on sorting us into houses? My brother told me it involved a troll!" Arabella couldn't help but laugh to herself.

"Did you hear the hat's song?" asked Lily breathlessly from next to her. "Huh" said Arabella. "The song, didn't you hear the song?" Lily took this to mean no and shook her head. Arabella frowned as she realized she had some how managed to miss the entire introduction.

It was no matter though since the Professor had stepped up next to the stool with a long list and was calling the first student's name to come forward. Anderson, Savion nervously stepped up to the stool and placed the hat over his head. Quickly he became a Ravenclaw.

The table to her far right erupted into applause and cheers. Barber, Gada became a Hufflepuff as she watched. "Black, Sirius" called the teacher, a tall boy lazily stepped up to the stool. So this is Sirius Black, thought Arabella, well James certainly seemed right about him he does look like a bit of a prat.

However Arabella and the rest of the Great Hall joined her in complete silence when the hat atop Black, Sirius's head screamed "Gryffindor!"

"Huh" said James Potter aloud as he stared in surprise at the boy in front of the room.

Looking around the great hall he realized that he wasn't the only one who seemed very confused by the hat's unexpected declaration. The hall was completely silent for a good ten seconds before whispers began to erupt all over. "Did you hear that?" "Sirius Black the cousin of Bellatrix? A Gryffindor? Oh that wont go over to well I imagine."

James caught several snippets of conversation around him. Across the room Mary Alice caught his eye a sort of understanding passed between the two sibling's eyes and Mary Alice stood up and began to applaud. Gideon Prewett half way down the table, realizing what Mary Alice was doing jumped up and began to clap as well. Up and down the Gryffindor table sporadic applause became audible until the entire table was cheering.

Sirius Black who had previously been looking quite uncomfortable at the silence which had met the announcement of which house he would be part of grinned widely as he realized the Gryffindor's were cheering for him.

"Chiavatti, Arabella" the strict looking Professor cried out over the din of noise coming from the Gryffindor table. James watched his friend hold her head high as she stepped up to the stage and place the hat upon her head. "Gryffindor" yelled out the hat nearly the second it touched her head. Looking very pleased with herself Arabella joined Mary Alice at the table. James told himself not to be nervous; of course he would be in Gryffindor. I mean everyone in his family had been in Gryffindor, well not his Mum. Oh bloody hell what if he took after his Mum? That would be just his luck.

Feeling panic come over him he tried to remember to breath. In his state of panic James hardly saw any other part of the sorting. He didn't notice a certain red head who looked possibly more terrified then he was who answered to the name, "Evans, Lily" become a Gryffindor. Nor a certain pale, sandy blonde haired, "Lupin, Remus" or short and chubby, "Pettigrew, Peter" both become Gryffindors as well. No the only thing James Potter noticed was when a good fifteen minutes later he heard his own name, "Potter, James" echo through the Great Hall.

Nervously he made his way up to the front of the room reminding him self to breathe every couple of steps; he slid on to the stool. The last thing he saw before letting the hat fall across his line of vision was Mary Alice's smiling face.

"_Ah another Potter_" said a voice inside his head. "_Quite of few of you there have been. Sorted every single one of you, all have done great things_" "Yeah I know" thought James a little bitterly, "Would you mind just getting on with the sorting?" The voice chuckled, "_Impatient aren't we? Well that certainly discounts Hufflepuff I have to say. What have we got here? Quite smart I can clearly see that, oh and what talent, my dear boy. Loyal to those you love, that is quite obvious. Oh my I have to say, what bravery. Well I think the answer here is clear…It has to be_…" James took a deep breathe and exhaled as he heard the hat yell out, "GRYFFINDOR".

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The last chapter was a bit short...so I am hoping this makes up for it! Thank you so much to everyone who has reveiwed so far! 


	7. Friends and Foes

**Friends and Foes**

That night after the sorting James found himself in the Gryffindor first year boy's dormitory. He was initially in awe of the rich maroon bed hangings and fluffy canopy beds. Several boys were already in the room. To his right a short boy who clearly was still holding on to a good deal of his baby fat was digging through his trunk, which had been magically transported there like all the other student's trunks. He was muttering to himself about something which James couldn't quite make out. Shaking his head and chuckling under his breath he took a moment to look at all the other boys in the room.

On the other side of the room opposite the odd, muttering boy was a skinny, blonde haired boy, who had a slightly grey tinge to his complexion. The boy was sitting on the bed he had clearly claimed as his own, several of his textbooks open in front of him. Whatever the boy was reading, he seemed to be clearly engrossing in because he hadn't even looked up when James had entered the room. Not feeling very confident about the possibility of friendship with the first two boys he had encountered he looked on toward the next beds in the room.

"No" he muttered under his breath in desperation as he saw two boys talking together in under toned voices, both of whom he recognized. The first boy James knew to be Acanthus Jordan, whose father worked in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He had brown hair which he appeared to use a bit too much hair gel on if you asked Mary Alice Potter. Thankfully she wasn't in the room or she surely would have commented, which she was known to do. Acanthus was irritating, snobby and pretentious. James could hardly put up with him, although he did a much better job then Mary Alice did.

The other boy, Viscounte Bixby, was the son of a fairly well known Wizarding author. As James was observing the two, Viscounte turned to look at the door and seeing James he waved excitedly. "Potter" he called jumping over his trunk and shaking James' hand and patting him on the back simultaneously. "This is just grand isn't it" said Acanthus jovially, "the three of us in Gryffindor together. Three of the best names in Wizarding, you know Potter old boy." James eyed Acanthus with an odd expression, "Uh right Jordan. So have you met the other boys in here yet?"

Acanthus and Viscounte looked at each other a bit wearily, "Well the thing is Potter. They seem a bit…well odd if you ask me," Viscounte said quietly his eyes traveling from the boy who was reading on his bed to the chubby boy who was still digging through his trunk. Acanthus shook his head vigorously in agreement, "don't they look odd to you. I mean look at them!" James starred at the two of them with an open mouth. Here it goes, James thought.

Truth be told James had never been a fan of either Viscounte either, he thought he like Acanthus was fairly stuck up. Beside that James had absolutely nothing in common with either of the boy's. Neither Acanthus nor Viscounte were interested in any of things he liked to do, as he had learned on the several occasions when he had met them previously. He wasn't all that surprised to hear that the two planned on snubbing the strangers in their dormitory without giving them a chance, but it still bothered James quite a bit. James couldn't help but think it would surely be a very long seven years if the boys in his dorm refused to get along even from the beginning.

He was especially annoyed because he now was faced with the dilemma of having to choose between the people he knew and standing up for two strangers that he had never even spoken to. Fantastic, he thought with a slight uncharacteristic bitterness.

However James Potter was saved from having to say or do anything in the next moment because the dormitory door flew open with great force and the last of the Gryffindor first year boy's entered the room. It was something that all the boys would come to expect in later years, this particular boy making a grand entrance, but at the moment on their first day at Hogwarts they all starred at the door way and the young boy standing in it.

He had slightly long dark hair which fell in his eyes in a rather elegant manner, his grey eyes seemed to sparkle in rather daunting way and at the moment he had a fairly sarcastic grin upon his face. His mere presence in the room seemed to demand attention and attention he got. Of course all the boys in the room knew who he was, after the sorting ceremony and the slight stir he had caused by being placed in Gryffindor the whole castle knew his name.

Clearly this boy knew how famous he had become throughout the castle in a matter of minutes, earlier that evening and by all appearances appeared to think that his popularity was rightly placed. The boy was Sirius Black and so began the next seven years of James Potter's life.

Initially James Potter and Sirius Black did not even speak to each other. The first night in the dormitory Sirius had preceded straight to one of the two unoccupied beds; coincidently they were right next to each other and shut the curtains around him self. Of course he had smirked at the three boys standing together in the middle of the room as though he knew something that they didn't. James scowled at the shut curtains thinking that the darn Black kid had taken the bed he had planned on claiming as his own.

Deciding against throwing open the curtains to the bed and demanding Black move bed's, simply for the reason that it was the first night at school and James was the kind of person who firmly believed in trying to make a good first impression. Looking around the room he realized the boy who had been reading had taken cue from Black and also shut himself in his bed. The chubby boy seemed to have oddly disappeared from the room or at least from view. Not particularly caring what had happened to the boy, James sighed to himself and muttered good night to Viscounte and Acanthus and crawled into the last bed.

Thinking that the initial introduction with his new roommates had not gone at all how he had wanted it to James rolled over. As he drifted off to sleep he hoped that tomorrow would go slightly better.

The next morning James awoke earlier then either Viscounte or Acanthus, not really wanting to wait for either of the boys which he felt lacked any sort of real fondness for he dressed in his school robes and attempted to run a comb through his messy hair. Sighing at the pointlessness of the exercise he starred into the mirror, "I'm afraid you're fighting a losing battle there dear" said the mirror back to him. "Thanks a lot" muttered James.

Picking up his school bag and carefully placing his new wand in his pocket he hurried out of the dorm into the common room. He was glad to see Arabella sitting on one of the many squishy maroon couches that scattered the room. She appeared to be trying to perform some sort of spell with her wand that didn't seem to be working, James hadn't the slightest clue what she was trying to do but she appeared to be concentrating very hard. Sneaking up behind Arabella he slowly reached out and grabbed her shoulder and yelled, "Got you."

Arabella screamed, jumped up from the couch while twisting around at the same moment and some how managed to slap James across the face. "Grazie a Dio!" she screamed, clutching her chest "Dear God what are you trying to do?" James scowled as he rubbed his cheek, "Not trying to be accosted thanks" he grumbled. Arabella cocked her head and looked at him scathingly, "Well that's what you get for sneaking up on me." "Can't you ever just apologize" James asked. "Why should I apologize you're the one who snuck up on me" Arabella said. James threw up his hands, "You're really impossible you know that?" Arabella shrugged, "That's what my mamma says." James simply rolled his eyes.

Both turned as they heard a loud noise from the staircase, they simultaneously smiled as they saw Mary Alice bounding down the staircase toward them followed directly by one of her best friends Alice Whitman. Alice was a positively gorgeous girl with long blonde hair and sky blue eyes. She did well in school but was much more interested in the social aspect. Several steps behind the two girls followed the third member of their group Emmeline Vance at a much more reserved pace.

Emmeline was a very brilliant girl, cute but not striking as Alice was, she compensated for this in the regal way in which she carried herself and conducted her affairs. Both Alice and Mary Alice teasingly called her "the Duchess". She was the calmest of the three girls and incidentally often the voice of reason that every group of friends needs.

James knew Emmeline and Alice well as he had met them multiple times during the two years in which Mary Alice had known them. Arabella had met them several times during the summer, but had gotten to know Mary Alice's other best friend Sturgis Podmere much better. Coincidently Sturgis was descending from the boy's staircase at that exact moment. Sturgis was a good looking boy in the same year as the three older girls.

He lived close to the Potter's in Godric's Hollow and spent a far amount of time over at Rose Hill Manor. "Hello kids" he said with a wide grin mocking a familiar greeting of one Acanthus Jordan, who both Mary Alice and Sturgis always spent a fair amount of time making fun of after meeting him two years previously at a dinner party.

"Kids" scoffed Mary Alice with a matching grin quickly picking up on Sturgis's joke, "I think not old boy." "Honestly you both wouldn't hurt to be a little bit nicer to that Jordan boy" Emmeline scolded looking up from the book in her hands, "he is after all a Gryffindor now too." "Just our luck" muttered Mary Alice causing Sturgis and Alice to laugh. Emmeline shook her head. James didn't join in the joke as usual however, thinking unhappily up to his room where Acanthus was sleeping. This is not going to be very pleasant, James thought to himself. "Well I'm quite hungry" announced Alice to the group, "let's go down to the great hall and have breakfast."

The small group of students was the first to arrive at the Gryffindor table. Soon however they were joined by several people who James hadn't seen the night before at the welcoming feast, though he had known they were all Gryffindors. He waved pleasantly at Fabian Prewett who entered the Great Hall flanked by several seventh year boys and a few girls who were glancing hopefully at the handsome blonde Quidditch captain.

His brother, Gideon, who was a fifth year, came in the room several minutes later with his best friend Agius Kirke. Both were members of the Gryffindor House Quidditch team also. Gideon came over and clapped James on the back, "there you go Potter" he said, "glad to have you in Gryffindor and sorry I didn't get a change to congratulate you last night." James thanked Gideon but was far more interested in the events that transpired next.

Gideon turned to everyone else sitting around James, "Hullo Sturgis, Emmeline, Alice, Bella," all four returned the sentiment. Alice starred at Gideon as he continued to stand there suddenly becoming very interested in his shoes. Sturgis and Emmeline looked at each other with smirks on there face. Arabella snorted into her porridge. Agius came up behind Gideon grinning broadly, "All right there Gid?" he asked clearly trying to keep from laughing; putting his hands on Gideon's shoulders he started steering him towards the other end of the table.

"Morning all" he greeted then smiling particularly at Mary Alice he grinned even wider, "Mary Alice" he greeted. Gideon turned his head and scowled at his good friend. Sturgis laughed loudly but after receiving an extremely evil look from Mary Alice he quickly turned it into a cough. Emmeline looked at Sturgis like he was some sort of troll.

James bit into a piece of toast but nearly choked when the last person in the world he expected to sit down next to him sat down. Sirius Black reached over James plate for the pitcher of pumpkin juice. James set down his toast and starred open mouth at Sirius who appeared oblivious to James.

Glancing towards Arabella who was sitting on the other side of him he was disappointed to see she was engrossed in conversation with that odd red haired Muggle girl whom she had been sitting with on the train the day before. In fact he seemed to be the only one who was even noticing Sirius, which seemed quite odd to James after the odd reception Sirius had received after being sorted the night before.

It was something James would soon learn, as most children do, gossip is only interesting for so long. As soon as some new juicy piece of information comes along people lost interest in old gossip and full heartedly moved on to the new. In fact the new gossip had something to do with Fabian Prewett who had broken up with his girlfriend of a year and a half only that morning. The poor girl apparently had spent the last forty five minutes in the girl's bathroom on the third floor bawling her eyes out. But that is really no matter to this story, so back to James.

Still unsure of what to do James continued to stare at the boy next to him. A good five minutes past until Sirius looked up from the large amount of food which he was downing at a particularly rapid pace. "Is something matter" he asked James. James shook his head, "No I was just wondering why your sitting here. Not to be rude or anything I mean."

Although most people probably would have taken the question as quite rude Sirius Black was not most people. "Well I don't exactly want to sit by those two murtlap head's you were talking to last night. I think I would probably have to bludgeon myself to death if I had to spend anytime with them." James laughed out loud despite himself.

Sirius grinned and shrugged before going back to his meal. That was the only thing the two boys got to say to each other at breakfast that morning however because Professor McGonagall had chosen that moment to pass out the class schedules to the Gryffindors. "Oh look we have Transfiguration first" Arabella said as she turned to look at James. James nodded feeling a knot form in his stomach. He certainly hoped he would be good at it.

James and Arabella walked to Transfiguration together and managed to get there early which proved to be quite a feat in itself. They had thought they had taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way but somehow mysteriously turned up right in front of Professor McGonagall's room despite that. "Now that's what I call good luck" murmured James as he smiled at Arabella.

Arabella nodded as she looked at the classroom door with wide eyes. Walking into the room they saw that in fact they were not the first students there, several of the Gryffindor girls were in the room already including the red headed girl from the train, who was waving enthusiastically at Arabella. "Uh I think Lily wants me to sit by here James. You don't mind do you?" asked Arabella. James rolled his eyes, "Yeah I don't care whatever" he grumbled.

Arabella practically sprinted across the room and sat down by the Lily girl. Sliding into an empty desk at the back of the room James slowly pulled his transfiguration book out of his bag and started thumbing through it. Slowly more students started flooding into the room. Looking at the empty seat next to him James found himself begging the fates not to let Acanthus Jordan or Viscounte Bixby be the one who would sit there. He felt his hope plummet to the floor when he saw Acanthus walk through the door alone and pompously walk across the room smiling at James.

James fiercely fought the urge to roll his eyes. But he was saved by sheer luck when right before Acanthus reached the seat on the other side of James another boy slid gracefully into it and plopped his book bag up on the table in front of him. James silently thanked the stars for Sirius Black as his new dorm mate grinned at him. James smiled back. "Ahem" Acanthus said in an irritated voice, "I think you're in my seat Black".

Sirius turned his head slowly and looked up at Acanthus. "Really I don't see your name on it." Acanthus looking highly offended opened and shut his mouth without a single sound coming out; he looked helplessly at James as if asking his for help. James smiled suppressing a laugh, "Sorry mate" James said, "Like Black here said I don't see your name on it."

"Well I never" huffed Acanthus, "Look here Black I will not stand for your rudeness. I know how your family works. I will not tolerate it. I demand respect." Sirius starred at Acanthus like he was two inches tall, causing Acanthus to shrink back. Because whether Acanthus would admit it or not Sirius Black was a very intimidating boy, even at eleven.

Suddenly Sirius broke into a loud bark like laughter, "Is that what you think Ace?" Acanthus narrowed his eyes at Sirius, "Look here Black it isn't Ace it's Acanthus and I'm telling you right now I will not tolerate your attitude around me. I am too good for it. I insist you treat me according to the honor I deserve."

By now most of the students had filed into the room and were watching the drama between the two boys unfold silently. Sirius had quit laughing and appeared to be standing up to take care of Acanthus in a way that would most likely probably earn him a detention. But to the surprise of Sirius Black something happened that had never happened before to him, someone stood up for him. That someone was James Potter.

"Jordan just go sit down somewhere else and in the name of all things good and holy just shut up. You're acting like a complete idiot. Don't be such a pompous git I really can't stand it anymore. For Merlin's sake you don't even know Sirius and really if I was you I would probably proceed around him a bit more carefully." Looking at Sirius and then back at Acanthus he added, "He could no doubt kick your arse without any problem."

If Acanthus had looked offended before he looked positively livid now. In fact it wouldn't have surprised anyone in the room if he had taken a swing at James; he actually took a threatening step towards James. However as angry as he was with James, he couldn't help but notice Sirius cracking his knuckles menacingly.

Stepping back and turning towards another desk, he looked back over his shoulder and hissed, "Fine Potter if that's how you want it. You go right ahead and involve yourself with the Black family. I know as well as you do what you're getting yourself into there."

James laughed loudly, "Well if it's a choice between you and Black, Jordan, I think I'll take my chances with Black here". The rest of the class broke out into giggles but Acanthus glared at them all so ferociously that the quieted down quickly.

Professor McGonagall chose that moment to enter the classroom seeing that Acanthus was the only one not seated she stared at him with nearly the exact same expression Sirius had regarded him only moments before. "What's your name" she asked. "Umm Acanthus, Jordan" Acanthus gulped suddenly looking very nervous indeed.

"Acanthus Jordan, Professor" Professor McGonagall corrected him sharply; "Well Mister Jordan I suggest you find a seat unless you want to lose your house points on your first day in your first class." "Yes Professor" Acanthus said weakly sliding into an empty seat towards the front. James and Sirius both snorted back laughter. Professor McGonagall turned and glared at the two boys sitting side by side in the back of the room.

"Is something funny boys" she demanded. "No professor" they responded in unison. As soon as Professor McGonagall had turned on her heel and gone to the black board in the front of the room Sirius and James turned to look at each other and grinned widely.

So began the friendship of one James Potter and Sirius Black.

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Authors Note- Ok so this chapter is a bit longer. Hope you like it! I really do, Sirius is probably my favorite character so yeah. Let me know what you think!!!And a special thanks to emuroo, belle granger, Princess of Brooklyn annnnd Anita Potter- and in response to what you said...James isn't paying particular attention to Lily yet because I dont think to many eleven year old boys develop insane crushes at that age, just my opinion mind you. In a few years of course, but right now all he is worrying about is who his friends are and where he fits in! 


	8. The First Day

**The First Day**

By the second week in September obvious friendships had started to develop between the first year Gryffindor class. As it had become apparent on the first day of classes James Potter had wanted nothing whatsoever to do with Acanthus Jordan, and it became apparent quickly after he was not interested in pursuing any sort of friendship with Viscounte Bixby. Interestingly enough James Potter began sitting next to a certain Sirius Black in nearly all his classes.

To be honest at first he probably would have preferred to sit by Arabella, as she was his best friend, but the few times that they had tried to sit together that red haired girl, James could never quite remember her name, was it Lacey? No perhaps it was Ellie? No, that did not seem right either, maybe it was Rosie. Well whatever the girl's name was she had taken a clear liking to Arabella and always insisted that Arabella sit next to her in classes, whenever Arabella tried to sit anywhere else the poor girl's lips would begin to quiver and she appeared on the verge of breaking into tears.

Personally James thought the girl was a bit off her rocker, but for some reason Arabella liked her. In fact by the end of September the two first year girl's were completely inseparable. So James feeling rather abandoned turned to Sirius for friendship.

At first Sirius did not do much to encourage James's efforts, he wasn't exactly rude to James truth be told he actually was quite unsure of how to react to the young Potter boy. After the incident on the first day he had been rather taken aback by James. No one in his entire life had stood up for him and it intimidated him more then anything else. Sirius came from a family that prided itself on nobility among the Wizarding race more then anything else.

In their eyes weakness was not tolerated but then again either was being sorted into Gryffindor. Torn between the two world Sirius spent the first several days of school trying to figure out where he stood in regard to his family, Hogwarts, the Gryffindor house and the Wizarding world in general. He had been shocked when the sorting hat had placed him in Gryffindor. It had not been in the plans, he was supposed to follow all of his relative's foot steps into the great and noble house of Slytherin, where he would flourish and grow.

In Slytherin he would be groomed for his life after Hogwarts as head of one of the greatest pureblooded lines in Wizarding Europe. He would be expected to marry some girl, picked for him by his parents, who was also of acceptable social class and blood lines. He would be expected to produce an heir. That was the life that Sirius Black was expected to lead and in his mind up till his first day at Hogwarts there was never any question of his life going exactly to that plan.

But on September 1st 1970 his world had come crashing down around his feet. When he had heard the sorting hat yell out for the population of the Great Hall to hear that he was in fact a Gryffindor not a Slytherin Sirius could have sworn his heart stopped beating. It was no matter that not one of the Gryffindor's looked pleased to have a Black as their new house mate; well it had been no matter at first. But when he had seen an absolutely gorgeous girl leap to her feet, once she realized that no one was doing anything to welcome Sirius to the house, and begin applauding him.

Yes that girl was without a doubt that more beautiful creature that he had ever laid eyes on. Imagine his surprise when he learned the next day that the spectacular girl was the sister of one of his dorm mate James Potter.

Sirius couldn't help but wonder what his parents would say when they learned that he had become a Gryffindor. Probably blast me off the family tree at the very least, he jokingly thought. It scared him to realize how much his life's plan had been altered in the course of several days. Not only had he been sorted into an unacceptable house, he had fallen head over heels in love, or as much in love as an eleven year old boy can be, with a Gryffindor girl.

He had been put down by some snot nosed boy who he could have very easily beaten to a pulp. But instead of having the opportunity to do this another boy had stood up for him, something that Sirius was quite sure his Father would have a hippogriff about it all, if he knew.

But the thing that worried Sirius more then anything else was that he didn't mind not following his parent's plans for him. Up to this point he had never even thought to question what was in store for him, but now he had been forced to. Would it really be so terrible to become friends with James Potter? He knew that the two of them would get along quite well, but truthfully Sirius had never really had a friend before. Sure there was his little brother Regulus and his older cousins Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa.

Of course it probably wasn't fair when you thought of Regulus to say that Sirius didn't have friends. He had never had friends outside his family, would be the correct thing to say. Regulus honestly was what you would consider his best friend. Regulus worshiped the ground Sirius walked on and Sirius in turn was quite fond of his little brother. But at this point Regulus was back at 12 Grimmauld Place and Sirius was here at Hogwarts faced with a very unpleasant dilemma.

Sirius had seen other pureblood children at a distance on several occasions during his year's prior to Hogwarts. But up until now he had never really interacted with anyone outside his family. Of course, Sirius reasoned, his parent's couldn't find too much fault in him being friends with James Potter. Everyone knew the Potter family could trace their lineage back nearly as far as the Black family could. They were purebloods the whole lot of them and on top of that they were filthy rich. Sirius supposed if James had been a Slytherin he would be the exact type of Wizarding boy his parent's would expect for him to pick as a friend. But that was rather a nonexistent point anymore.

Besides now that Sirius was in Gryffindor he couldn't quite see the point of refusing to make friends with anyone in his house. From what he had seen of the Slytherin students he couldn't say he was impressed. Yet he was impressed by James Potter. James already had a large group of friends, which spanned all the years of the Gryffindor house. His name seemed to demand respect when it was spoken, whether it was a fellow student or a Professor who spoke it. James was very smart and quite funny. He seemed to be quite good natured and up for anything.

So it was that Sirius decided to try and become friends with James.

It was a windy morning during his second week at Hogwarts when James found himself trekking across the school grounds toward where the first year's Care of Magical Creatures Class was set to be held. He was not having a particularly pleasant morning so far. He had woken up late, of course none of the other boys in his room had been kind enough to wake him up, rather they had all been down enjoying their breakfast's when he had finally been awaken by Arabella screaming his name at the top of her lungs from the common room.

As it turned out Arabella was cross with him for not waking up on time seeing as she had decided to wait around for him to go to breakfast. Apparently she had been waiting at least twenty minutes when James finally descended into the common room. It didn't take James more then a few minutes to find himself wishing that she hadn't waited for him as the entire way down to breakfast she ignored him. During breakfast Sturgis had accidentally spilled his glass of pumpkin juice in James's lap, then on his way out the front doors to care of Magical Creatures Class he had some how managed to step in the only puddle on the entire Hogwarts grounds, as it had been a particularly dry summer and early fall.

By the time he reached where the rest of his classmates and Professor Kettleburn, the care of magical creatures' teacher, was standing he was in a foul mood. Kettleburn starting talking introducing the class to the subject or something like that, James wasn't listening. Either did it same was Sirius Black, who had sidled over to stand next to James. "So how much do you want to bet that that greasy haired git over there is going to get eaten alive by the first creature we see in this class" he muttered to James with an evil grin upon his face while pointing at a Slytherin boy with long, black, greasy hair and a hook nose.

James felt his unpleasant mood evaporate as he looked at where Sirius was pointing, "My God that has to be the strangest looking kid I have ever seen" he whispered so only Sirius could hear him. "Do you think he ever showers" asked Sirius with a laugh. "I certainly would be surprised if he did" James grinned.

"He is just begging for someone to prank him if you ask me" Sirius added, glancing sideways at James. James turned his head to fully look at Sirius a wide mischievous smile spreading across his face, "that's the best idea I have heard since school began." "Well that's what I do. They call me the idea man," said Sirius cockily.

James laughed. "Do you mind? Some of us are trying to listen you know," snapped a voice in front of the two boys. Sirius found himself looking directly into the irritated face of Arabella Chiavatti. "Excuse me" Sirius said sarcastically holding both his hands up, "Don't get your knickers in a twist." Arabella narrowed her eyes dangerously, "Look Black all I want is to listen to the Professor. If you can't be quiet for ten- honestly I would be happy with five- minutes then…I don't know go jump off a bridge." Sirius laughed loudly, "Is that the best you can come up with then?"

"Just do us all a favor and shut up," came the voice of the greasy haired boy whom Sirius and James had been making fun of only moments before. James whirled and starred at the boy feeling a twinge of dislike immediately upon hearing the boy's voice. "Why don't you just keep out of it," James said hissed evenly his dislike apparent. The greasy haired boy's widened and then narrowed considerably, "I'll do whatever I like and you and your ridiculous little friend would do well to remember that."

Sirius, temporarily forgetting about Arabella, stepped up behind James, "maybe you should just worry about yourself you greasy little rat" Sirius growled. However no more insults were traded because Professor Kettleburn had seen the three of them talking. "You there Black, Potter, Snape no talking during my lessons. That will be five points apiece from each of your houses." Sirius and James grudgingly decided to pick the argument up at another time.

Arabella on the other hand was still silently fuming about Sirius. She couldn't believe how rude that stupid little boy was. Lily was looking at Arabella rather fearfully as she had never seen Arabella get upset before. Little did Lily know that truthfully this was only the tip of the ice berg, as Arabella Chiavatti could become very, very nasty when she was really upset.

It became clear before to long that Arabella and Lily would be best friends. Really you couldn't find to more different girls. For as loud and extroverted as Arabella was, Lily was shy and quiet. Arabella adored being the center of attention, she made herself known in any group and voiced her opinions freely.

Lily on the other hand preferred to blend into the scenery, not make any trouble and be as complacent as was humanly possible. Maybe it was these noticeable differences that really made the two girl's friendship dynamic, each seemed to have the gift of being able to pull aspects of the other's personality out that no one knew had existed before.

Lily calmed Arabella, Arabella livened Lily up. Lily talked Arabella out of reacting stupidly quite often while Arabella taught Lily to stand up for herself. Both appreciated the other enormously at the beginning but neither could have even imagined how necessary the other would be to the other in the future nor could they have guessed how the lessons each taught each other would one day impact each of their very survival.

But back to Arabella glaring at Sirius.

James was still scowling about losing his first points for Gryffindor; he couldn't help but think that everyone he was trying so hard to become friends with would now surely hate him. Why did he always have to be so ridiculously stupid? Sirius on the other hand was still smiling menacingly at that Snape character, who was looking fiercely right back at him. Needless to say one Slytherin and three Gryffindor first years did not hear much of the first care of magical creature's lesson.

On the way back to the castle Arabella caught up with a very sullen James. "Why are you hanging out with that prat" she hissed. James didn't listen to what she said instead he looked at his good friend forlornly and apologized, "Do you hate me now? I'm so sorry. Please believe me Ill never do it again I promise!" Arabella cocked her head and starred at James was a very confused expression on her face, "What are you on about?" "The points, it's the points Bella! It's horrible! Everyone will hate me now I know it!" James cried quite near hysterics.

"Are you off your rocker Potter?" Arabella said with irritation, "No one cares if you lost five lousy points. Honestly don't be so whiny, and don't tell me you will never lose any points again I imagine you will probably lose more then your fair share in the next couple years and I wouldn't want you feeling badly when you do because you made some ridiculous promise to me on the first day of school in first year."

James smiled widely, "Yeah you're probably right about that. Thanks Bella," then much to Arabella's annoyance James gave her an embarrassing hug, laughed at the disgusted look on her face and dashed off to join Sirius. "Wait James…JAMES POTTER! I WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" she screamed after him to not avail. "Prat" she muttered as she followed Lily back to the castle.

"What was all that about" Lily asked Arabella as the dark haired girl joined her. "I was just trying to talk to James" Arabella explained, "I wanted to tell him that I think it's a bad idea that he is hanging out with that Black kid." Lily secretly wondered what was so bad about that Black kid, but was much to shy to question the girl she was trying to make friends with logic. Instead Lily decided to ask Arabella about James; all though he had seemed quite rude on the train she decided it certainly wouldn't hurt to give him another chance. "So you know James quite well then?" Lily asked. "Oh yeah I spent practically the whole summer over there.

There great especially James and Mary Alice," Arabella said suddenly in a much better mood. "Whose Mary Alice," asked Lily. "Oh she's James's older sister, she is a third year in Gryffindor. Ill introduce you to her she will love you," Arabella said kindly. Lily tried smiling but silently thought to herself that she wasn't looking to give anyone in third year a chance to love her. No if she had her way she would stick to the eleven year old crowd thank you very much.

Unfortunately things did not go according to Lily's plans. After a lovely charms lesson during which the Professor, who called himself Flitwick, demonstrated a levitation charm much to Lily's amazement and pleasure before reading aloud rules and assigning reading; Lily found herself being dragged across the Great Hall by Arabella to eat lunch with a group of quite tall and intimidating older students. A very pretty girl with long, wavy blonde hair and startling blue eyes was the first of the group to look up.

"Arabella," she cried happily jumping up and hugging Lily's companion. The rest of the group looked and called various greetings to Arabella who responded before dragging Lily forward, "I want you all to meet my friend Lily Evans. She is a first year Gryffindor to." Lily, who normally would have been quite pleased that Arabella had referred to her as a friend couldn't find any pleasure in the moment. She was painfully shy in general but especially so around teenagers.

Unfortunately the entire group in front of her was made up of teenagers. "Hullo Lily" said the pretty girl who had jumped up to hug Arabella, "I'm Alice Whitman. I'm in third year." Lily tried to smile but was quite sure she managed nothing but a grimace. The girl next to Alice smiled kindly at Lily, "I'm Emmeline Vance".

Across the table a tall girl with dark hair waved and said, "I'm Mary Alice Potter." So this was James sister, she certainly looked a great deal like James except noticeably prettier. Next to Mary Alice sat a square jawed, friendly looking boy who introduced himself as Sturgis Podmere. So far they seemed to be quite nice and Lily was even starting to feel almost comfortable as she sat down next to Arabella and proceeded to bite into a sandwich.

James ran into the Great Hall followed close behind by Sirius. Looking around wildly he saw Mary Alice sitting with Alice, Emmeline, Sturgis and Arabella. Quickly he hurried over to where his sister was, "Mary Alice" he called excitedly failing to notice the Ravenclaw second year who had stood up in front of him holding a full glass of pumpkin juice. The next chain of events came straight out of the movies. James took a step forward plowed right into the unsuspecting boy who toppled backwards on to the ground.

His glass of juice flew through the air, its liquid contents becoming airborne. The entire section of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw table became silence as they watched the pumpkin juice fall from the air onto its victims head. It just wasn't Lily's day. Or so she decided while sitting on the long wooden bench trying to hold back tears, as pumpkin juice dripped down her face.

James looked around nervously everyone in the room had stopped eating and talking and was staring wordlessly at the red haired Gryffindor first year. "Er... sorry about that…" he started, what was her name? Why couldn't he remember it? "…Lola. I really didn't mean for that to happen. Just wipe it up it's not a big deal, see?" The girl looked up at him reproachfully. A single tear ran down her cheek. Just as suddenly as the pumpkin juice had landed on her head she jumped and ran out of the Great Hall in tears.

"Lisa I'm sorry" James cried after her, feeling quite bad. Turning he looked back at his friend's and sister. "Good work there James" Sturgis commented as he struggled to keep a smile off of his face. Emmeline shot a scathing look at Sturgis before turning back and looking at James, "I'm sure she knows it's an accident James. Now what is your friends name there?" James who had completely forgot about Sirius Black until that moment opened his mouth to reply but was cut off.

"His name is Sirius Black," Arabella snapped as she stood up abruptly and shot a positively scathing look at James, "My friend's name is Lily. Maybe next time you try apologizing to someone you should get their name right. Now I have to go find her and calm her down, because you obviously couldn't apologize properly and I am probably going to miss lunch now. Thanks a lot." With that she stormed out of the Great Hall.

"Once again good work James" Sturgis said this time unable to help grinning widely. "That was certainly eventful" Alice commented. Mary Alice merely nodded as she was laughing hysterically at the look on her little brother's face.

Lily hadn't meant to start crying in the middle of lunch, she really hadn't. But nothing had gone right so far that day. She missed her parents, she missed her home, she felt like she was years behind everyone in all of her classes. Most of them had known about magic their entire lives and she had only found out about it in July. Then stupid James Potter had caused a glass of juice to be dumped on her head on top of all that she had started crying in front of everyone in the school. Arabella probably wouldn't even want to be her friend anymore.

"Fantastic" she wailed as more hot tears welled up in her eyes. Burying her face in the pillows on her bed she let out a hopelessly sad wail. "Oh stop being so dramatic" said a voice from next to her, causing Lily to sit up with a start. She was shocked to see Arabella standing next to her bed, "W-What are you d-doing here," Lily sniffled as she wiped her nose on her robe sleeve. "Well I couldn't very well let you have a fit all alone could I?"

Lily wiped some of the tears from her cheeks, "I'm sorry for acting like that." Arabella rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Well you certainly don't need to be sorry. I mean you didn't go and dump and glass of juice on your own head did you?" Lily tried to smile, "I know its not. I just looked stupid. I…well I don't want to complain to you I mean we barely know each other." Arabella smiled and the irritation left her voice as she sat down on Lily's bed, "Lily we are going to be room mates for the next seven years, we might as well get to know each other. Besides no one ever says they don't want to complain unless they really do, so out with it. Tell me what's bothering you."

In truth when Lily heard Arabella's words she had to fight very hard to keep from breaking into a fresh round of tears, she managed not too solely for the reason that she doubted Arabella would be very pleased by it. "Well its stupid really" said Lily quietly, "I just feel so left out. Everyone hear knows each other and top of that everyone knows what there doing and what to expect. I, on the other hand, haven't the slightest clue of what I will be doing or what will happen. I mean I read all my textbooks several times over, but I haven't seen a bit of magic in my life and I don't know a single person." Arabella looked at Lily with wide eyes, "You read all your textbooks more then once?"

Lily blushed as she nodded her head in confirmation. "Well I'll tell you right now, you have a much better idea what's going on here then I do. Maybe it doesn't seem like it, but the only thing I have ever paid attention to my entire life, much to my mamma's displeasure, is Quidditch. I guess your right it probably is hard coming to a new school and not knowing anyone, but you know me. I'm your friend and I'll stay your friend even if you have weekly attacks like you had earlier in the Great Hall, I promise."

Lily couldn't help letting several tears leek out of her eyes, "D-Do you really mean that," she whimpered. "Oh for heaven's sake" Arabella cried as she saw Lily's tears, "Of course I mean it! Now stop crying before I give you something to cry about." Lily couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Now are you done crying because I think there is about fifteen minutes left before the next class and I was hoping to eat something at lunch today," Arabella said as she stood up, "Come one lets go!" Lily stood up and gathered her book bag. Together the two girls left the room.

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Authors Note- Sorry it took me so long to update...I have been having some tech problems, hopefully its smooth sailing from here on out. I also had a bit of writers block so this chapter is a bit longer because I ended up just writing untill an idea came to me!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter especially AnitaPotter. You honestly made my day, and yes I am planning on writing a long story with multiple sub plots. The main focus will be on the Potter family, the extended Potter family that is.

Oh one more thing I haven't put a disclaimer in here yet so...**Nothing in this story belongs to me.** Harry Potter and all its characters, plots, components etc. etc. belong to JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury and Warner Brothers plus anyone else I am forgetting. I do however proudly own Mary Alice Potter. That is it however.


	9. The Beginning of the Marauders

**The Beginning of the Marauders**

So September came and passed, of that first year at Hogwarts for James, Arabella, Sirius and Lily. Before anyone knew it October had happened upon the grounds causing a frost to set in during the early morning hours and the leaves to fall from the many trees making a blanket of yellow, orange and red across the expansive lands that surrounded the castle. Mary Alice made the Quidditch team much to her excitement and James was almost as excited by the news as she was, although rather put out by the fact that she seemed to spend almost every minute outside of classes and meals at Quidditch practice.

Sturgis had made the team too, much to the annoyance of several upperclassmen who were absolutely beside themselves that the only open positions on the team had been given to two third years. In fact the first time James actually had a chance to sit down and talk to his sister was a week into October, nearly three and a half weeks after the Gryffindor Team's tryouts. James and Sirius were walking down the staircase from their room, their heads together.

The two had decided they really needed to give this Snape character something to whine about; so far their efforts had been unsuccessful. "Well we don't want to do just any old thing" Sirius said emphatically, "Its need to be something that will really make people stop and take a look. We don't want that greasy little git to just have a little blush about it, we need full on humiliation! We need to give people something to talk about!" James grinned mischievously, "Right you are Black! That is why we are going to talk to Mary Alice; she's a right genius when it comes to these things."

Sirius gulped nervously, "Er…your s-sister Mary Alice?" James turned back at him incredulously, "No, one of the other Mary Alice's running around Hogwarts, since there are so many. Come on quit being a tosser and hurry up." Sirius found himself with little choice but to follow James down the stairs, all he could do was secretly hope that Mary Alice was still busy at Quidditch practice.

As luck would have it Mary Alice was sitting in the middle of the common room surrounded by Sturgis, Emmeline and Alice. "Blimey, Fabian is a right dictator when it comes to Quidditch" muttered Sturgis as he massaged his sore calves. Mary Alice looked up at him and nodded, "So true. I always thought he was such a nice bloke too, I mean I've known him since I was in my nappy. Apparently he's gotten some sort of complex now that he has been made captain." Emmeline and Alice laughed. "Well I can't imagine he's that bad," Alice hypothesized.

"Oh shut up" Emmeline said, "You're only saying that because you think he's cute." Alice blushed but didn't deny it, "So what if I do?" Mary Alice rolled her eyes, "Dear lord Alice you think everyone is cute. Honestly that's probably the third boy I have heard you comment on in the last hour. You would date anyone. I mean you would probably even date that prefect Frank Longbottom who graduated last year. You know that shy, bookworm with the thick glasses?" Alice pursed her lips, "Give me a little credit! I'm not desperate you know."

"Could have fooled me," Emmeline said under her breath. "I heard that" snapped Alice. "Would you three shut up" complained Sturgis, "I have three and a half feet to write on Vampires, and I haven't even begun to think about my potions essay. Besides hate to break your heart Al, but Frank is dating that Ravenclaw in seventh year Alice Foster or something."

"Well at least you two have the same name" teased Mary Alice. Sturgis looked scathingly at her. "Sorry, sorry," Mary Alice cried good naturedly as she helped up her hands in mock defense. Sturgis managed to get absolutely no work done though because the next thing the four friends knew; two first year boys were bounding across the common room yelling Mary Alice' name at the top of their lungs.

Make that one first year boy, as the other was following silently, his eyes slightly downcast. As he was slightly embarrassed of the crush he had developed on his room mate's pretty older sister. James skidded to a halt in front of his sister and her friends, "Oi Mary Alice what are you doing?" Mary Alice smirked at her brother, "Having tea with the Queen James. What do you mean what am I doing? Obviously I am doing homework." "Well there is no need to be snippy," replied James frowning.

"Sorry James, I'm just completely exhausted from Quidditch. Prewett is a real slave driver if you know what I mean and I have a ridiculous amount of homework that is due tomorrow," sighed Mary Alice. James plopped down in a chair; Sirius followed his example and sat down silently on the floor next to him.

"So what's Prewett's problem? Is he trying to prove to the whole school that he is the most insane Quidditch captain to ever be in Hogwarts? I mean you have had four hour practices every day for the last four weeks!" Sturgis snorted back a laugh at James's comments, before adding "Yeah he's on about something. I don't know if he is just trying to weed out the weak ones or what but I am on my last thread I think." Mary Alice looked at Sturgis in horror, "W-what do you mean? Are you going to quit the team Sturgis?" Sturgis shrugged.

Emmeline looked up from her essay skeptically, "Well I think you could learn something from where Sturgis has his priorities Mary Alice. You seem to forget that school should come before Quidditch!" Mary Alice, James and Sirius all looked at Emmeline in horror. "Is she kidding?" whispered Sirius to James urgently. James just shook his head in disbelief. "No she is completely serious," Mary Alice whispered to the boys, "I don't know why I am friends with her sometimes." Emmeline narrowed her eyes at Mary Alice as Sirius declared loudly, "No I am!"

Everyone stopped laughing and starred at Sirius like he had lost his mind, aside from James none of them had actually heard him speak before. "Uh you're what?" Alice finally asked clearly confused. Sirius looked at Alice like she was insane, "I'm Sirius! Mary Alice just said that she was serious but she is wrong I am." No one said anything; rather they just exchanged confused glances. A small laugh came from behind James. Sirius and James whipped around to see who it was.

The pale, blonde haired boy in their room who spent most of his time reading was sitting on a couch behind them laughing. "That's funny you know," he said to Sirius. Sirius seemed to swell with pride at the fact that someone had understood his not terribly funny joke. James grinned at the boy, "I wouldn't go feeding his ego. I've only known him a few weeks but he already seems to have more then enough to go around."

Again the blonde haired laughed. Sirius and James couldn't help but be drawn to the boy. He had such a contagious laugh and warm smile. "Sorry I don't think I ever got your name" James said, feeling slightly guilty that he had been in the same room as this boy for over a month and couldn't recall what his name was. The boy waved his hand in an effort to dismiss James's worries, "its Remus, Remus Lupin."

Sirius stared at Remus with a frown trying to work out if he had ever heard the surname Lupin before. He certainly couldn't recall it, if he had. Judging by the shabby, patched jumpers that Remus usually wore whenever he was out of his school robes it didn't really take to much detective work on Sirius' part to figure out that Lupin didn't really come from the same social set as he and James did. Something else that would not doubt infuriate his parent's if they ever spent enough time trying to figure out who else was in the Gryffindor house. Unsure of what he thought about that he decided to reserve judgment for the time being and relish in the fact that this strange boy seemed to get his bad jokes.

Abandoning his conversation with Mary Alice and her friends James focused all his attention on Remus and the short, chubby boy he recognized as Peter Pettigrew also from their room, who was sitting next to Remus. Still feeling slightly guilty for going this long with out introducing himself to someone that he was bound to share his room with for the next six plus years he tried to think of something to talk about, unfortunately he was rather unsuccessful.

Peter looked up from the notes he was engrossed in and became aware of the fact that James Potter was observing him and Remus with an almost quizzical expression on his face. Up to this point Peter had only said hello to James in passing, but now it seemed as though James was looking for conversation. Leaning back into the couch he was sitting on he happily abandoned his notes, "So James," he began. James inwardly sighed with thanks at someone else taking the lead in the conversation that didn't seem to be going anywhere.

"Your sister is on the house team right?" Peter continued. Excited by the mention of Quidditch James stood up a little straighter with a silly grin on his face which caused Sirius to laugh at his predictable friend. "Well look now you have him all excited," Sirius joked, "Mention Quidditch and he won't talk about anything else for the next hour." James shot Sirius a look of slight contempt; it was only slight because he knew it was true. Remus chuckled under his breath.

"So do you know how to fly to then?" Peter asked James hopefully. "Of course I do. I've been flying since I was seven, don't tell me Mum though. I wasn't supposed to start until I was at least nine, but Mary Alice got her first broom then and she would always let me use it when Mum wasn't around," James recalled. Peter nodded, "So odd question, do you think you could show me how to do it then. I've never done it before and I didn't really fly all that well in our lessons last month."

Remus and Sirius both nodded and grinned rather wickedly as they recalled Peter freefalling a good twenty feet to the ground after slipping off the end of his runaway broom, or the broom he had claimed to have been rouge while the flying Professor had been loudly chastising him before the class. But James wasn't even thinking of such things, as he had the expression of a boy who had just found out that Christmas was coming early that year upon his face. "Why Peter old boy," he cried, suddenly deciding that he liked this vertically challenged, rather round eleven year old quite a bit more then he had about five minutes prior, "Of course I will help you!"

Sirius shook his head at James but was smiling as well, "Listen Pettigrew we will all help you, well I don't know if Lupin here can fly but I now I sure can." Remus eyed Sirius was amusement, not one to bite at the obvious challenge the dark haired Black boy was laying before him, but not one to completely reject the notion of possible friendship either he pondered how to respond. "I might come along it's been awhile since I've been on a broom," he finally answered as if it made no difference to him one way or another.

Sirius smiled content with the response. James was looking around the room excitedly, "See here Peter lets go right now, all of us." Peter raised his eyebrows and looked at James with confusion. "Er James it's nearly nine o'clock, past curfew were not supposed to be out of the common room." James and Sirius exchanged a look and looked back at Peter, "Well it's only against the rules if you get caught you know," Sirius said with annoyance.

Peter glanced at Sirius with a look that clearly said he was out of his mind, but not being one to argue he shrugged. James and Sirius, followed shortly by Peter turned and made their way towards the portrait hole. "Coming Lupin?" Sirius enquired to Remus with a smirk as he observed the boy who was still sitting on the couch. Remus rolled his eyes as he saw Peter look at him pleadingly. He wasn't going to be getting any homework done tonight.

The rest of the events that transpired that night were never really recalled in complete detail by any of the four boys. Whenever they told the story in the year's that followed it always was told differently. Whoever was telling the story would get interrupted by one of the other three, who would say, "What? No, that isn't how it went at all. Were you even there? How can you forget our first adventure, despicable, unthinkable! You should be banned from any adventure we ever have again for poor display of friendship and the memories which it involves!"

Well to be far it was usually James or Sirius who would say that , as Peter and Remus were usually the ones who were delegating into telling the tale which there was no way they would ever tell correctly.

But yet whoever was telling the story and whoever disagreed, they would always agree on the main details of what happened, although how each occurred was widely disputed. Somehow the four boys had managed to steal away down to the Quidditch pitch, break into the broom shed, "borrow" four of the school's brooms and spend a good hour zooming around the pitch. Peter had a horrible time and never really did learn how to successfully pilot a broom. The poor boy never could really fly, he choose to stick to floo powder as a method of transportation for many year's to come.

When they were returning the brooms to the shed, Sirius managed to knock over a huge pile of old brooms sitting in a corner of the shed it had made a huge racket and had attracted the attention of Miss Norris, the horrid caretaker Argus Filch's cat. It was the four's first encounter with the notorious man, but by no means the last.

They had made a break back to castle and wound up hiding in the girl's bathroom on the fourth floor. Unfortunately once they realized they had found solace in of all places a girl's washroom they had found the entire episode so comical they had all broken into hysterical laughter and were subsequently apprehended by Professor McGonagall. This is also part of the story which there is much disagreement on, Sirius claimed for year's afterward that they were caught because McGonagall had saw Peter run into the girl's bathroom, well after the other three, due to his significantly heavier load, which he referred to as his wide load behind.

Peter would always say that it had been Sirius's constant crashes and bangs that had alerted the deputy head mistress of students out of bed. This explanation would always then be followed by Peter adding snippily, "Maybe I am a bit chubby Sirius, after all Mum says I haven't lost my baby fat yet. But I would give you a run for your money in grace any day; after all you can't even run in a straight bloody line." Remus would simply shake his head and say that it was his own fault for letting the other three lead him out that night and into a life of trickery, deceit and all around trouble. James would always just laugh.

The end of story however leaves little room for individual interpretation. The three boy's were lead into McGonagall's office where she criticized all of them quite loudly for the better part of a half an hour, before sending them on their way with detention, another first but clearly not last for the infamous foursome, and the Gryffindor house awoke the next morning finding themselves mysteriously minus forty points which had been there the day before.

Thus began the reign of the Marauder's, of course they didn't call themselves that yet. But for all general purposes it had begun.

* * *

_Authors Note_- This is a revised version of this chapter. Thanks to **emuroo** for letting me know about the errors! 


	10. Two Letters

**Two Letters**

James looked up from the letter he was holding in his hands and examined Mary Alice who was sitting across the table from him with an amused expression, thoroughly engrossed in the toast she was eating. Noticing her little brother staring at her, Mary Alice glared at him and demanded, "What are you looking at," as she sprayed bits of toast across the table.

"That's disgusting," James grumbled before he held the letter up, "So you couldn't resist crushing all Mum's ridiculous fantasies could you?" Mary Alice grinned evilly as she proceeded to shove another piece of toast into her already stuffed mouth. "Well I really wouldn't be me if I didn't try would I little brother?" James rolled his eyes.

After Gryffindor's first match of the season, (which is not summarized simply for the fact that the Gryffindor House Team was mercilessly beaten, no make that pummeled into the ground by Ravenclaw), Mary Alice had taken it upon herself to dash off a letter to her mother graphically detailing every reason why she hated Gideon Prewett, the person who, according to herself and Fabian, had single handedly thrown the match when he proved in front of the entire school that he was the worst Keeper Hogwarts had ever seen.

Of course Arabella and James, who had been sitting next to each other at the match, had realized the real reason Gideon couldn't do a thing right was because he was staring at Mary Alice the whole time. "Poor love sick sap," Arabella had exclaimed as they made their way up from the pitch after the game.

James had made a strange noise in the back of his throat. Sirius had been rather put out by the whole thing and somehow managed to convince his new comrades to help set off a barrage of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks in the entry hall, which had earned them all a weeks worth of detention but managed to make Sirius feel slightly better, especially after seeing Filch's furious face and hearing his threats to string the group of boys up by their ears.

Arabella had refused to help, "Not if that overgrown ape is going to be there," she had said heatedly well starring at Sirius before running off to join that Lily Evans girl. McGonagall had given all four boys detention and written to their parents.

But the letter which James held in his hands mentioned little of the incident in the hallway although it did touch on it briefly at the bottom of paragraph three. No, the majority of the text was devoted to Evelyn Potter's heartbroken ramblings.

"What did you do now Mary Alice?" Sturgis cried from where he was sitting several people down from the two Potter's. "What? Nothing," Mary Alice claimed as she glanced nervously at the letter James held. "Yeah I'm sure," said Sturgis as he bounded up and grabbed the letter in one graceful movement. "Oh what does it say?" Emmeline and Alice chorused together as the made to read over Sturgis's shoulders. Mary Alice made one half hearted attempt to grab at the letter before resigning herself to eating more toast. "Your sister certainly likes to eat," commented Sirius under his breath to James. James nodded, "nervous habit of hers," he muttered back.

"Dearest James," Sturgis read out in an overly mocking feminine voice. "So is Sturgis reading another one of your Mum's letters then," asked Arabella as she sat down on the side of James that was opposite Sirius. "Well yeah it's about Mary Alice so I guess he just feels the need to make her life a bit more miserable. Must not have hit his quota yet this week," James said in an offhand manner.

Mary Alice glowered at him over the table as she proceeded to eat the better part of a blueberry muffin. "You're going to get quite fat one day if you keep on eating like that," Arabella said distractedly as she strained to hear what Sturgis was reading. It wasn't hard to do. He was quite loud.

"I have just received the most distressing letter from your sister. She seems in a right state although I am sure you are quite aware of this. It would appear from her words, that she is rather unhinged after losing her first Quidditch match," Sturgis paused here and guffawed loudly, "As if you weren't already completely off your rocker before!" Mary Alice muttered something under her breath that sound particularly explicit to the group first year's sitting across from her. Sturgis hardly noticed as he continued reading dramatically for a giggling Alice and Emmeline.

"Now James, you know quite well that I am all for athletics but I am very worried that Marigold isn't quite up to the challenges that such strenuous activities entail. This is especially the case when those aforementioned emotions cause her to take on such strong feelings of resentment towards other members of her team." "Oh here it comes, my favorite part of every Evelyn Potter letter," Alice cried with glee. "Yours and mine both" muttered Mary Alice as she rolled her eyes up to the story ceiling of the Great Hall.

Sirius glanced at James curiously but James just motioned for him to listen, a small grin across his face. Sturgis cleared his throat dramatically and continued reading the next sentence. "Your Father seems to think this is all completely ridiculous, but I know better. It's setting precedence for year's to come, and knowing your sister and her habits quite well I am more then worried. If your sister writes such horrid things about Gideon Prewett, how can she possibly be pleasant to his face? If she is rude to his face, how will he ever fall in love with her? If he doesn't fall in love with her how are they supposed to get married? Mrs. Prewett and I are just beside our selves with worry about the whole situation," Sturgis had to stop reading here because he was laughing to hard to continue.

He wasn't the only one. Alice was practically rolling on the floor, Arabella was engaging in a very un-Arabella session of hysterical giggles. Even Emmeline, the normally composed member of the group, was laughing so hard that tears were coming to her eyes.

"What? Your Mum wants to marry Mary Alice off to Prewett," Sirius asked with surprise. "Only been planning it since the day she was born," replied James. "That seems a little er…odd" concluded Sirius finally. "Yeah well if you ever see me Mum and Mrs. Prewett in action together you'll find a whole new definition for odd. Dad tries not to let them get together very often anymore after the whole New Year's Eve of 67'…actually he tries not to let them get together when there is a large supply of Champagne around, is more like it. Either way it's a bad idea in my opinion." "That would be quite interesting to see though," said Sirius with a grin.

"No, really you don't want to! It happened again last summer it was horrible! Ask Arabella!" James hissed forcefully. Arabella turned starred at Sirius with a scared expression on her face, "I've never seen anything like it," she whispered in a frightened voice. "His Mum tried to get me betrothed to Fabian Prewett. They planned our whole wedding and that was before they brought out the Mulled Mead!" James nodded wide eyed, "See what I'm talking about mate?" Sirius secretly still thought this would be quite an interesting occurrence to see but decided by the reaction he had just received, keeping this opinion to him self might be the best course of action.

Sturgis was still attempting to read the next line of the letter, but was having quite a time with it as he was gasping for air between bursts of laughter. That was when Gideon Prewett walked into the Great Hall. Mary Alice took one look at Gideon, causing her eyes to grow the size of small dinner plates before she jumped up grabbed the letter from Sturgis's hand and hissed, "That is quite enough of that!" and hurried out of the hall, ignoring the sounds of laughter trailing her as she went. Gideon, for his part, starred rather forlornly at her retreating back. "Poor sap," muttered Arabella before turning to James and inquiring as to whether he had finished his potions essay.

Arabella and Lily were sitting in their room one evening in early November, it was a rainy night and the wind could be heard as it howled around the windows of Gryffindor tower. Both had found themselves unable to concentrate in the common room where they had been sitting earlier trying to complete their Transfiguration homework.

James had taken it upon himself to keep Arabella company; despite her insistence that she really didn't need any and that she actually would prefer he left so she could concentrate on what she was doing. Lily had spent the entire time she should have been practicing wand movements, shooting James the most evil looks she could possibly manage.

So finally Arabella had excused herself and Lily, while Lily narrowed her eyes and glared at James, and both girls had retreated to their room where much to their delight they realized they had all to themselves as all their room mates were still down in the common room.

Abandoning her homework Arabella sprawled out onto her bed and grinned at Lily. Lily looked up at Arabella and decided to take a five minute break, just this once. Pulling her knees in so she was sitting Indian style she smiled at her friend. "Can you believe it's already November?" she asked. Arabella ran her fingers through her long black hair as she glanced up at Lily, "Yeah I guess it went kind of fast. I don't really pay attention to that sort of thing you know."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Right off course not, well I just said that because it means it's almost Christmas." Arabella's expression which she worked so hard to keep indifferent sagged noticeably at Lily's words. Lily knitted her eyebrows, "What? Don't you like Christmas?" Arabella sighed, "Its fine. Really Christmas is over rated Lily."

"What do you mean? No it isn't!"

"Really I don't like it. Never have."

"Are you mad?"

Arabella glared at Lily, "No I am not mad. Thank you. I just would rather not think about it is all."

"Well why not?"

Arabella glanced up, "All right I'll tell you. But you cannot tell anyone else. Promise!"

"I won't tell anyone," replied Lily automatically feeling herself get rather excited at the prospect of learning something that no one else knew.

"Well it's not that big of a deal, but I just found out the other day…that well…I have to stay here for the Holidays. It would be alright I guess, but well no one else is going to be here. You're going home, James is going home, obviously Mary Alice is and well…I mean I am used to spending the Holidays alone. I have all my life, but it doesn't make it all that pleasant you know?" Lily looked at Arabella incredulously, "What do you mean you have always spent the holidays alone?"

"Well I've told you about Mamma and Papa, they are very busy. Especially around the holidays, they have parties to attend every night. Meetings during the day, luncheons, brunches, balls. You can't really take someone who is my age with you to those things. This year is no different of course, they wrote me and said that it would just be easier to have me stay at school since they are going to be in Italy, then at least they don't have to worry about hiring a nanny back on over the holidays. But it isn't a big deal of course; I mean I understand that is just my Father's job. It's important." Arabella added quickly at the end, making an effort to show Lily that she really couldn't care one way or the other. She didn't do a very good job.

"That's really horrible Bella," Lily finally said, unsure of what else to say, "I'm very sorry." Arabella shrugged her shoulders, "Like I said Lily, I don't care." Leaning back for several seconds Lily starred up at the curtains above her head, like she always tended to do when she was deep in thought.

"What if….what if you came home with me for the holiday," she sputtered suddenly as she sat up quickly, feeling a smile spread across her face at the sheer brilliance of the idea. Arabella looked at Lily with wide eyes, "Really? You would want me to?" she said with excitement.

All though not many people noticed, Arabella was rather unconfident when it came to people really caring about her and it would always come as a bit of a shock to her when people made large gestures like Lily was prone to making. Unselfishness was not something that she was used to, as she had spent the first eleven years of her life living with one of the most selfish women in Wizarding Europe.

Lily grinned, "Well of course. I can't believe I didn't think of it before! I mean how much fun would that be? You could meet my parents and see my house, live like a Muggle. Have you ever been in a Muggle house?"

The two girls spent the rest of the evening discussing the upcoming holiday, both absolutely beside themselves with excitement. The next morning Lily awoke early and dashed of to the Owlery to send her parents a quick note asking if Arabella might come and spend the Christmas holiday with them.

All day the two girls talked about what they would do over their break together. "I can't imagine nearly three weeks without magic," Arabella said with wonderment. "It's not as bad as you're imagining Arabella" Lily laughed.

The next morning at breakfast as Arabella and Lily found seats as far from James and Sirius as they could possibly manage without having to sit at a different table, the mail arrived. One of the large tawny colored school owls swooped down and deposited a letter next to Lily's goblet of pumpkin juice.

Lily recognized the swooping handwriting on the outside of the envelope as her mother's. Excitedly she ripped it open, as her green eyes scanned the letter Arabella held her breath and felt her heart plummet as she saw Lily's face droop with disappointment. "What did they say," Arabella finally asked. Lily looked up at Arabella as her lip began to quiver familiarly, "Don't cry," Arabella said loudly. Lily paid her no heed as she jumped up and hurried out of the great hall. Arabella rolled her eyes and noticed that Lily had left the letter sitting on the table.

Unable to resist, after all, she reasoned, how she was supposed to comfort Lily if she didn't know all the pieces of the situation, Arabella picked up the letter and began reading.

_**Dear Lily**_

_**You're Father and I think it is wonderful that you have made such good friends at school. We know this Arabella girl has been a good friend to you so far, as much we have gathered from all your letters. We understand that it might seem like fun to have a friend come home with you for the holidays but we certainly wouldn't want Arabella to not spend Christmas with her family. After all that is what Christmas is all about, dear. I am sure that you were quite excited about having her come home with you, but imagine how Arabella's family would feel if they learned that she wouldn't be joining them for the holidays. That is the question that your father and I asked ourselves and we decided that if it were you asking to go somewhere else for Christmas we simply would be heartbroken. So my darling, please try and see where your Dad and I are coming from. We aren't trying to be mean or upset you; we simply want Arabella to have the opportunity to see her family over the holidays. That's not to say she couldn't spend a weekend with us or something, but we just don't believe the whole break would be a good idea.**_

Arabella stopped reading here and tossed the letter into her bad to give back to Lily later. Realizing that she wasn't the slightest bit hungry anymore she got up from the table and decided to copy Lily's exit. Don't be disappointed, she told herself, the letter made sense. It's your own fault for getting your hopes up. You should know better then that by now. Normal parents would of course want their children to spend the holidays with them, to bad my parents are completely out of their minds.

Rolling her eyes, she suddenly realized that Lily had clearly not told her parents the full extent of the situation, at least gathering from what the letter had said it certainly didn't seem like it. Finding herself slightly mollified by the fact that Lily had kept her promise about keeping Arabella's biggest secret, or what she considered her biggest secret at the age of eleven, that her parents would rather attend a party then spend time with their daughter.

Arabella felt herself less annoyed with Lily's parents yet no less irritated with herself. If their was one thing Arabella had learned over the years it was to not let herself get excited about anything that wasn't completely within her control and she had broken her cardinal rule. Sighing deeply she tossed her hair over her shoulders and grimaced as she heard a voice behind her. "That one certainly cries a lot."

Whirling around Arabella glowered at Sirius Black. "Why don't you go get eaten by the Giant Squid or something?" Peter Pettigrew laughed out loud from where he stood next to Sirius, despite the patronizing glare Sirius threw at him. "What's got your wand in a knot?" he said sarcastically. "Nothing, I just don't think you should make any sort of judgment on someone you don't know at all, especially someone who is my friend."

"Well she is really, really emotional Chiavatti. She cries at least once a week." Arabella found herself unable to argue with Sirius, but also didn't seem able to walk away from the situation either, as it would feel like he would win.

"Why don't you just keep your little comments to yourself Black? There's an idea. Keep your big mouth shut!"

Sirius narrowed his eyes with dislike, "Why don't you do everyone a favor and follow your own advice. You have got to be the rudest, self centered, stuck up girl I have ever met!"

"Your one to talk! You won't even talk to your cousins in Slytherin. You have got to be the most heartless git alive!"

"You know what Chiavatti, why don't you just go run home to your parents. We all know all about them, its completely obvious you're their daughter. The way you act. The way you expect everyone to treat you, like your bloody royalty or something. Here is a news flash your not. I bet you can't wait for the holiday so you can go home and get everyone to wait on you hand and foot and have your parents spoil you a bit more!"

Arabella nearly choked as she heard Sirius's last insult hurled at her, she could barely see. She could feel herself grinding her teeth. She wasn't exactly sure which statement had really set her off, perhaps it was the cut at her personality, or how she expected people to treat her.

More then likely though it was Sirius's misinformed cut at how alike her parents she was. But it certainly worked, she couldn't remember being so angry in a long time.

Forgetting everything, forgetting she was a witch and that she had a wand in her pocket, which she knew how to use. Forgetting that she was in the middle of a crowded hallway, she hurled herself at Sirius fists raised.

For a split second she saw the anger in Sirius's face switch to shock. But as her fist connected with his face she was stunned to realize he looked surprisingly like James.

She was even more flabbergasted to see James lying on the floor starring at her with a shocked expression, Sirius standing several feet back from him. "What the hell Arabella?" James yelled. "What are you doing?"

Arabella yelled right back, "I was trying to hit that git! What were you doing?" "I was trying to stop you from doing something really stupid." James yelled back as he massaged his cheek which was turning quite red.

"POTTER, CHIAVATTI!" came the furious voice of Professor McGonagall from behind them. "What are you- FIGHTING?! Like Muggles? I never! Disgrace! Detention for both of you! Thirty points from Gryffindor." "No Professor it wasn't J…" Arabella tried to get out.

"Quite Chiavatti you are in enough trouble as it is!" "No see Professor" Sirius attempted to say. "What is wrong with you Black? Do you want a punishment too! I dare say you are feeling left out!" James groaned up from the floor as he massaged his cheek, as Professor McGonagall yelled at him and Arabella for another ten minutes.

* * *

**Authors Note**- Sorry Sorry Sorry it took me so long to get this out. I am having the worst case of writers block imaginable. I know where I want this story to go...just having a little trouble getting there! Ill try and be more regular with updates.

I want to say a special thanks to AnitaPotter for her reviews, both of them :)! Oh and I know I do have a bit of a problem getting the chapters out- like I said above. Im trying to make it better though!


	11. Prelude to the Holidays

**Prelude to the Holidays**

Remus Lupin seemed to have something akin to a calming affect on Sirius Black and James Potter. Even though they were still relatively early in their first year all the teachers quickly recognized to a slight extent what exactly they would be dealing with for the next six and a half years as so. Within the first three months of school the two boys had locked the caretaker Argus Filch's cat in three different broom cupboards.

They had poured chocolate sauce down the back's of not two, not three, but four different students in the Slytherin house. They had been caught out of bed past curfew, roaming the school halls multiple times and cursed the nose of one of their fellow first year's, by the name of Severus Snape, completely off his face. The amount of detentions the two managed to accumulate within the first several months of school was rather alarming.

The Gryffindor Head of House, Professor Minerva McGonagall even went as far as to compose a letter to both boys' respective set of parents. The Potter's responded by sending their son his first of many howlers, to which the boy seemed to respond by subduing his mischievous behaviors for at least a day. The Black's never made a reply, or at least not to the knowledge of Professor McGonagall.

All the same Remus Lupin became something of a God send to the numerous professors at Hogwarts. Neither Black, Pettigrew nor Potter would apparently listen to rhyme nor reason, unless the one doing the telling was Remus Lupin, or Albus Dumbledore but he was much harder to come by.

To an outsider one might wonder exactly what this boy had in common with the three hooligans, as Professor Slughorn called them rather too affectionately for Professor McGonagall's taste one morning in a staff meeting. She had after all just spent the last hour cleaning up the remnants of a dozen or so exploded pumpkins from the front lawn. No doubt the handy work of those adorable little hooligans, Professor McGonagall thought savagely. No one would have ever thought that it had actually been Remus' doing for the most part.

Remus found himself feeling much more confident when they were around, James, Peter and Sirius that is. He felt for the first time in his life he could push the envelope if you will, be a bit daring, experiment with highly explosive devices. Yes, it was positively freeing to live as he did once he became James and Sirius's friend. For the first time in his life he was out of his shell and it felt good.

Sirius and James, as well as little Peter of course liked Remus just as much as he liked them. After all how could they not?

He had an extremely good disposition, was terribly friendly although not noticeably outgoing. In later years his classmates might notice him more for his quick wit and sarcastic sense of humor. But that would surely not happen for years to come, so at first it was only Sirius and James who really knew that about Remus. Peter was also extremely appreciative of Remus for all these reasons as well as the fact that Remus was kind enough to sit down with Peter every night and go over the lessons that they had had during the day and do his best to explain them to poor Peter. Sirius and James always secretly thought it took a saint to do this.

At first though it was one reason above all else that tied the other three to Remus.

It was this; Remus was the brains of the operation. Believe it or not.

Every group has to have someone in it that is the brains, the thinker, the intellectual. The one who figures out how to carry out all the ideas. The person who organizes and figures out how to execute all the plans. In short Remus quickly made himself indispensable to his friends. They all had a purpose, because not one of them could have solely, pulled off such a successful seven year assault on their school, or even done as well in a group of three.

James was the leader, as he always had a knack for knowing exactly what to do in the heat of the moment. Well except when it came to girls.

Sirius was the operant. He knew the secret passages, classrooms and secrets of the school better the any student most teacher's had ever met. He also had a fierce problem with authority figures and was too much of a daredevil for many people's liking.

Of course there was Peter also and although he lacked a great deal of ability in his school work he proved rather essential when it came to ideas. Yes little Peter Pettigrew was the idea man. So you see how the four boy's little operation certainly wouldn't have worked with out each other?

At first it bound them together, in time there were other things as well, but in those first few months of first year their ability to work as a team steered them on a path toward friendship.

Remus Lupin had come to Hogwarts worried that he would be unable to make a single friend, he was worried that his…er…handicap, would somehow prevent him from gaining any sort of social acceptance whatsoever. It was the small boy's greatest ambition to find a friend, imagine his pleasure when he found not one but three.

Year's later Sirius Black would jokingly say that Remus really lucked out when he made friends with the two best looking Gryffindors to date. This always caused Peter to add, "Yeah Me and Sirius you know." Then James would always feel the need to add, "Well I'm better looking then Sirius by a long shot." "Not according to your Mum, last night," Sirius would always without fail, finish with. Causing James and him to tussle and causing Remus to laugh. But know deep down it was essentially true, except perhaps the good looking part. Maybe not for the reason that they were so good looking, all though James and Sirius and yes, even in an odd animalist way Peter, were, but rather because the qualities of good friendship characterized the three in complete during those years.

It is not often that one finds a friend who would really do anything for you; however for Remus he found this quality in three individuals at the beginning of his first year.

Of course in spite of this fact Remus Lupin didn't object from telling his two friends when they hade been supremely stupid. In fact Remus Lupin was doing just that, at they exact moment as Sirius and James recounted how James had gotten it, for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"So when you say you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, you mean you were in between Arabella's fists and their target right?" Remus asked, clearly amused at the tale. James nodded, "Well of course, what else could I possibly mean?" James replied, as he and Sirius both starred at Remus as though he had lost his mind. "Well you know if I was talking to sane people it might have something to do with getting a detention…" Remus trailed off as he realized that James and Sirius weren't even listening.

"I say we get her back James," Sirius said with excitement.

"What? No. We can't do that to Arabella. I mean as funny as it would be and everything, she would go straight to Mary Alice and nothing good can come from Mary Alice being involved in something. She would beat us both senseless, take my word for it."

"James, your sister loves me! She wouldn't do anything of the sort to me, you maybe but not me."

Peter who had been sitting quietly on his bed looked up at Sirius with a laugh, "What are you kidding Sirius? You've talked to her maybe three times in three months. I really doubt that whatever Mary Alice is feeling for you has anything to do with love."

Sirius didn't answer, merely sneered at Peter and turned back to James.

"Peter's right Sirius, sorry to break it to you but I doubt Mary Alice would spare a second thought to you if you did something to Arabella."

Sirius pouted in the corner and muttered something dangerous about Arabella.

Remus shook his head and looked and James, "So the two of you have detention tonight then?"

James nodded and glanced at his watch, "Yeah in about five min- oh no! I'm supposed to be in the great hall in five minutes. I have to go!"

Sprinting down to the common room and then out into the hall James looked about wildly for Arabella hoping to catch her before arriving in the Great Hall and subsequently meeting Argus Filch.

Sighing Remus opened his Transfiguration book to the chapter that they had gone over in class that day and tried to decide where the best place to start his tutoring session with Peter would be. "I certainly don't understand why we couldn't try and get back at Arabella, I mean come on didn't any one see her try to assault me?" Sirius muttered out loud still clearly sore at James lack of compassion on the subject.

"I think James got off a lot worse then you mate," reasoned Peter as he stuffed a chocolate frog into his mouth. "Well all the more reason to do something to her then!" cried Sirius as he threw his hands into the air with annoyance. Peter glanced at Remus and shrugged, realizing that he would be fighting a losing battle if he attempted to reason with Sirius. "Sirius really I think you should get over it," said Remus evenly, "I mean you both said things in the heat of the moment, I'm sure you don't mean them. Its over, move on."

"What? No I meant every word I said. She is stuck up and rude and she does expect everyone to treat her like she is a princess! Plus she tried to hit me! Did no one see that, if James hadn't gotten in the way…well I might be in the hospital wing right now!"

Peter laughed out loud. "What is so funny about that?" Sirius snapped. "Oh well nothing really….I just find it rather amusing that your admitting a girl could beat you up is all."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at Peter.

Remus choose this moment to interject, "Whatever the case may be the fact of the matter is that if Arabella wasn't a girl I am sure you would have tried to throw a punch at her long ago, judging from the way the two of you normally talk to each other. It's sort of the same thing as Severus Snape."

Sirius nodded grudgingly, "Yeah I'd like to give that greasy little slime ball something to cry about."

"I think your missing the point," muttered Peter.

Remus rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to try and explain his point but was interrupted by Sirius.

"You know what Lupin its exactly the same! I wouldn't let Snape get away with this and I'm not going to let Chiavatti get away with it either in fact I'm going to go figure out a way to get back at her right now."

With that Sirius gave a whoop of excitement and dashed out of the dormitory. "Well that went well," said Peter fairly. "Yeah fantastic," agreed Remus sarcastically, "Well no matter let's try and have a go at these switching spells."

Peter reluctantly agreed.

"There you are" gasped James as he leaned over to catch his breath. Arabella looked up at him from where she sat back against the wall in the entrance hall. "Why are you out of breath?" she asked, with an eyebrow raised. "In room….time…late…detention….Sirius gone mad…revenge…Filch…tripped…here now," wheezed James not making sense in the slightest. "Er...right," said Arabella deciding against asking him to repeat it. "I just wanted to see you before Filch…" James was cut off from finishing as the dingy looking caretaker stepped into the hallway. "You two get moving," he barked, "I haven't got all day to sit around waiting for you."

James mouth twitched as if he would like nothing more then to reply with some sort of snappy comeback, for the moment though he refrained.

Following the caretaker up to the third floor Arabella did her best not to laugh at the very humorous faces James kept making at the caretakers back.

Finally Filch stopped in front of the Trophy room, "You will be polishing the trophies…without magic," he added menacingly. "I would have had you lot doing something a bit more unpleasant but your sister has been taking up all the other jobs lately." Narrowing his eyes at James as if to personally insult him. James cocked his head and looked at though keeping quiet was truly paining him, but again he managed.

"Well get moving," barked Filch as he pointed towards the room and a bucket full of rags which sat within it. James and Arabella watched him hobble away muttering under his breath about how much he disliked Potter's in general, if there was one thing Apollyon Pringle had told him when he had started was watch out for Potter's they had always been trouble.

"Oh he's just mad because Mary Alice put a color change charm on his stupid cat," whispered James, "He has had her in detention for a week."

Arabella snorted with amusement. James looked sideways at her, "Did you just snort?"

"No" Arabella replied quickly, as she turned slightly pink. "Yes you did. I heard you!" James laughed. Arabella glowered at him, "Oh shut up."

"I really think you should be a bit nicer to me," said James good naturedly as he grabbed a rag from the bucket, "after all you did nearly give me a black eye this morning." Arabella rolled her eyes, "Look I'm sorry ok? But you did get in the way and Black has had it coming for a while now." James shrugged, "Its alright, I'm used to girls punching me. Look at my sister. But why did it make you so mad this morning? I mean you two are always at each other's throats and its never drove you to violence before."

Arabella thought of the letter that Lily had received from her parents earlier that day and mechanically shrugged her shoulders, unwilling to admit that anything was wrong. James raised his eyebrows as he looked up from the trophy he was polishing, "Don't lie Arabella. Your not very good at it."

"What yes I am! My parents have never caught me in a lie in eleven years."

"Well your parents are idiots no offense."

Arabella made a small noise in the back of her throat, despite every intention not to. James looked up sharply, "Its about them isn't it, about your parents I mean?" "Nothing is wrong," Arabella repeated all though with much less conviction this time. "Shut up and tell the truth," commanded James.

"Fine! You want to know? You really want to know?"

"Well I really wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know."

Glaring at James irritably she proceeded to explain the entire situation of her parents, Christmas and Lily's parent's letter.

"…Its not their fault that they expect most parents to want to spend the holidays with their kids. I mean that's the normal thing isn't it. Problem is my parents aren't exactly what you would call normal," she finished looking supremely upset with herself.

James guessed, correctly, that the look on Arabella's face had to do with the fact that she had just admitted her life wasn't completely perfect and the feeling that she had just betrayed her parents by complaining about their lifestyle. Yet he found himself more confused then anything else. "Well why did you even bother going to Lily about it," he finally asked.

"Well I didn't mean to, she sort of shook it out of me if you know what I mean."

"No your missing what I'm saying, I mean why wouldn't you just come home with me and Mary Alice?"

Arabella looked up at James with surprise, "What? I just assumed…I don't know. I didn't want to bother you I guess."

"Well that's a bit stupid isn't it? I mean you spent the whole summer with us. Don't you think my Mum would be upset if you didn't spend Christmas with us as well?"

"Er…I just assumed that…I don't know…it just didn't seem like…"

"Whatever Arabella. Your coming home with us alright? That's the end of it."

Arabella looked up at James with a smile and yet again she let her emotions take over, something she really tried not to let happen, and leapt up and hugged a very surprised James.

Argus Filch chose that moment to walk into the room. "YOU TWO SEPARATE DETENTIONS RIGHT NOW! POTTER LETS GO!"

Arabella and James both laughed as the caretaker violently grabbed the bucket and stalked out of the room muttering about loose morals and disgusting pre teens.


End file.
